  We report a study in which the effect of defects/impurities, growth process,
off-stoichiometry, and presence of impurity phases on the superconducting
properties of noncentrosymmetric CePt3Si is analysed by means of the
temperature dependence of the magnetic penetration depth. We found that the
linear low-temperature response of the penetration depth -indicative of line
nodes in this material- is robust regarding sample quality, in contrast to what
is observed in unconventional centrosymmetric superconductors with line nodes.
We discuss evidence that the broadness of the superconducting transition may be
intrinsic, though not implying the existence of a second superconducting
transition. The superconducting transition temperature systematically occurs
around 0.75 K in our measurements, in agreement with resistivity and ac
magnetic susceptibility data but in conflict with specific heat, thermal
conductivity and NMR data in which Tc is about 0.5 K. Random defects do not
change the linear low-temperature dependence of the penetration depth in the
heavy-fermion CePt3Si with line nodes, as they do in unconventional
centrosymmetric superconductors with line nodes.
