Method of manufacturing of a membrane with surface fibre structure, membrane manufactured by this method and use of such membrane

A manufacturing device comprising:

• one or more vacuum chambers equipped with a first magnetron deposition system and a second magnetron deposition system,
• a holder disposed in the one or more vacuum chambers for holding a membrane in the one or more vacuum chambers;
• wherein the magnetron deposition system comprises a cerium-including target disposed in the one or more vacuum chambers;
• a radio frequency power source configured to ignite a plasma over the surface of the cerium-including target, wherein the plasma is configured to provide a plasma etching process simultaneously to a deposition process using the cerium-including target;
• and
• wherein the second magnetron deposition system comprises a catalyst target disposed in the one or more vacuum chambers and is configured to form a layer of catalyst over a result of the plasma etching process.

A method of processing a membrane, the method comprising:

• disposing the membrane into a vacuum chamber having a magnetron sputtering system with a cerium-including target, the sputtering system having an atmosphere comprising oxygen;
• igniting plasma as an ionized atmosphere to provide simultaneous plasma etching of a surface of the membrane and deposition of cerium-including masking elements with a layer thickness in a range of tenths to tens of nanometers on the etched surface of the membrane resulting in formation of fibers;
• and
• magnetron sputtering a layer of catalyst onto the surface of the membrane, wherein the catalyst comprises iridium.