Atmospheric glow discharge with concurrent coating deposition
View Patent ↗A plasma is produced in a treatment space ( 58 ) by diffusing a plasma gas at atmospheric pressure and subjecting it to an electric field created by two metallic electrodes ( 54,56 ) separated by a dielectric material ( 64 ), a precursor material is introduced into the treatment space to coat a substrate film or web ( 14 ) by vapor deposition or atomized spraying at atmospheric pressure. 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. Additional plasma post-treatment may be used to enhance the properties of the resulting coated products.
1. A method for manufacturing a coated substrate by an in-line process of plasma treatment and precursor deposition 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 into the process space at substantially atmospheric pressure to pre-treat the substrate;
depositing a 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 electron-beam radiation.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said depositing step is carried out by vaporizing and injecting said precursor over the substrate in line with the plasma gas.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said depositing step is carried out by vaporizing and injecting said precursor over the substrate in line past the process space.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said depositing step is carried out by atomizing and spraying said precursor over the substrate in line past the process space.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said curing step is carried out with ultraviolet radiation.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said curing step is carried out with visible light.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein said curing step is carried out with infrared radiation.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein said curing step is carried out electron-beam radiation.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out with ultraviolet radiation.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out with visible light.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out with infrared radiation.
16. The method of claim 8 , wherein said curing step is carried out electron-beam radiation.
17. 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 precursor.
18. 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 precursor.
19. The method of claim 7 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
20. The method of claim 8 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
21. The method of claim 9 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
22. The method of claim 10 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
23. The method of claim 11 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
24. The method of claim 12 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
25. The method of claim 13 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
26. The method of claim 14 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
27. The method of claim 15 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.
28. The method of claim 16 , further including the step of post-treating the polymeric film in a plasma field after the step of curing the precursor.