COATING METHOD

1 . A method for preparing a lubricity coating on a plastic substrate, in which the substrate is a syringe, the method comprising:

(a) providing a gas comprising:

i. an organosilicon precursor,

ii. optionally an oxidizing gas, and

iii. a diluent gas in the vicinity of the substrate surface; and

(b) generating plasma in the gas by providing plasma-forming energy adjacent to the plastic substrate, thus forming a coating on the substrate surface by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD);

in which:

the plasma-forming energy is applied in a first phase as a first pulse at a first energy level followed by further treatment in a second phase, at a second energy level lower than the first energy level, and reduces the breakout force, F i , of the syringe, compared to the breakout force of a similar syringe that has only been treated at the second energy level;

the resulting lubricity coating has an atomic ratio Si x O x C y H z or Si w (NH) x C y H z wherein w is 1 as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x is from about 0.5 to about 2.4 as measured by XPS, y is from about 0.6 to about 3 as measured by XPS, and z is from 2 to about 9 as measured by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS); and

the lubricity coating has a lower frictional resistance than the uncoated surface.

2 . The method of claim 1 , in which the first pulse energy level is from 21 to 100 Watts.

3 . The method of claim 1 , in which the first pulse is applied for 0.1 to 5 seconds.

4 . The method of claim 1 , in which a second pulse is provided at a lower energy level than the first pulse.

5 . The method of claim 1 , in which the second phase energy level is from 1 to 10 Watts.

6 . The method of claim 1 , in which the syringe size is from 1 to 10 mL.

7 . The method of claim 1 , in which the lubricity coated syringe is further treated by post heating it, optionally at 50 to 110 degrees C. for a time interval of 1 to 72 hours.

8 . The method of claim 7 , in which the post heating step is carried out under at least partial vacuum, alternatively under a pressure of less than 50 Torr.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the organosilicon precursor comprises a linear or monocyclic siloxane.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein O 2 is present in a volume-volume ratio to the organosilicon precursor of from 0:1 to 2:1.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein Ar is present as the diluent gas.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises from 1 to 6 standard volumes of the organosilicon precursor, from 1 to 100 standard volumes of the diluent gas, and from 0.1 to 2 standard volumes of O 2 .

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein both Ar and O 2 are present.

14 . (canceled)

15 . The method according to claim 1 , additionally comprising a step for preparing a barrier coating on the substrate before the lubricity coating is applied, the additional step comprising:

(a) providing a gas comprising an organosilicon precursor and an oxidizing gas in the vicinity of the substrate surface; and

(b) generating plasma from the gas, thus forming an SiO x barrier coating, in which x is from 1.5 to 2.9 as measured by XPS, on the substrate surface by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

16 . The method according to claim 15 wherein in the step for preparing a barrier coating

(i) the plasma is generated with electrodes powered with sufficient power to form the SiO x barrier coating on the substrate surface

(ii) the ratio of the electrode power to the plasma volume is equal or more than 5 W/ml;

(iii) the O 2 is present in a volume:volume ratio of from 1:1 to 100:1 in relation to the silicon containing precursor.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polycarbonate, an olefin polymer, a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), a cyclic olefin polymer (COP), and a polyester.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated with microwave energy, RF energy, or a combination of the two.

19 . (canceled)

20 . A method for preparing a lubricity coating on a plastic substrate of a syringe, the syringe comprising a barrel having an inner surface and a piston or plunger having an outer surface engaging the inner surface of the barrel, wherein at least one of said inner surface and outer surface is the coated substrate, the method comprising:

(a) providing a gas comprising:

i. an organosilicon precursor,

ii. optionally an oxidizing gas, and

iii. a diluent gas

in the vicinity of the substrate surface; and

(b) generating plasma in the gas by providing plasma-forming energy adjacent to the plastic substrate, thus forming a coating on the substrate surface by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD);

in which the plasma-forming energy is applied in a first phase as a first pulse at a first energy level followed by further treatment in a second phase, at a second energy level lower than the first energy level, and reduces the breakout force, F i , of the syringe, compared to the breakout force of a similar syringe that has only been treated at the second energy level;

wherein the resulting lubricity coating has an atomic ratio Si w O x C y H z or Si w (NH) x C y H z , wherein w is 1 as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x is from about 0.5 to about 2.4 as measured by XPS, y is from about 0.6 to about 3 as measured by XPS, and z is also from 2 to about 9 as measured by hydrogen forward scattering (HFS).

21 .- 30 . (canceled)

31 . A vessel processing system for coating of a vessel, the system comprising a processing station arrangement configured for performing the method of claim 1 .

32 . (canceled)

33 . (canceled)