Atmospheric glow discharge with concurrent coating deposition
View Patent ↗A plasma is produced in a treatment space by diffusing a plasma gas at atmospheric pressure and subjecting it to an electric field created by two metallic electrodes separated by a dielectric material, a precursor material is mixed with the plasma, and a substrate film or web is coated by vapor deposition of the vaporized substance at atmospheric pressure in the plasma field. The deposited precursor is cured by electron-beam, infrared-light, visible-light, or ultraviolet-light radiation, as most appropriate for the particular material being-deposited. Plasma pre-treatment and post-treatment steps are used to enhance the properties of the resulting coated products. Similar results are obtained by atomizing and spraying the liquid precursor in the plasma field.
1. A method for manufacturing a coated substrate by a process of vapor deposition and concurrent glow-discharge plasma treatment at substantially atmospheric pressure, comprising the following steps:
providing a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric material and facing a process space:
applying a voltage across the electrodes;
mixing a vaporized precursor with a plasma gas;
diffusing the vaporized precursor and plasma gas through a porous material into the process space at substantially atmospheric pressure;
depositing the vaporized precursor over said substrate; and
curing the precursor to produce a polymeric film.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said curing step is carried out with ultraviolet radiation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said curing step is carried out with visible light.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said curing step is carried out with infrared radiation.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said curing step is carried out wit electron-beam radiation.
6. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of pre-treating the substrate in a plasma field prior to the step of depositing the vaporized precursor.
7. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the vaporized precursor.
8. The method of claim 6 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the vaporized precursor.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out with ultraviolet radiation.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out with visible light.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out with infrared radiation.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out electron-beam radiation.
13. A method for manufacturing a coated substrate by a process of vapor deposition and concurrent glow-discharge plasma treatment at substantially atmospheric pressure, comprising the following steps:
providing a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric material and facing a process space;
applying a voltage across the electrodes;
diffusing a plasma gas through a porous material into the process space at substantially atmospheric pressure;
depositing a vaporized precursor over said substrate upstream of the process space; and
curing the precursor to produce a polymeric film.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said curing step is carried out with ultraviolet radiation.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said curing step is carried out with visible light.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said curing step is carried out with infrared radiation.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein said curing step is carried out electron-beam radiation.
18. The method of claim 13 , further including the step of pre-treating the substrate in a plasma field prior to the step of depositing the vaporized precursor.
19. The method of claim 13 , further including the stop of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the vaporized precursor.
20. The method of claim 18 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the vaporized precursor.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said curing step is carried out with ultraviolet radiation.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein said curing step is carried out with visible light.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein said curing step is carried out with infrared radiation.
24. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out electron-beam radiation.
25. The method of claim 13 , wherein said depositing step is carried out by atomizing and spraying said precursor over the substrate in line with the plasma gas.
26. The method of claim 18 , wherein said depositing step is carried by atomizing and spraying said precursor over the substrate in line with the plasma gas.
27. The method of claim 19 , wherein said depositing step is carried out by atomizing and spraying said precursor over the substrate in line with the plasma gas.
28. The method of claim 20 , wherein said depositing step is carried by atomizing and spraying said precursor over the substrate in line with the plasma gas.