Barrier coatings produced by atmospheric glow discharge

• US 6,774,018 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sigma Laboratories Of Arizona LLC
• Original Assignee: Sigma Laboratories Of Arizona LLC
• Inventors: Mikhael, Michael G., Ellwanger, Richard E., Yializis, Angelo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Long
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAI SING
• Application Number:
  US10/228,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20020195950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 438/480-485, 438/513, 438/710
• US Class Current: 438/485
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/30 Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32018 Glow discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32532 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32724 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32825 Working under atmospheric pressure or higher
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/24 Generating plasma nuclear fusion reactors G21B1/00; gas-filled discharge reactors H01J37/32
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/2441 characterised by the physical-chemical properties of the dielectric, e.g. porous dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 2240/10 at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

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 vapor precursor is mixed with the plasma, and a substrate material is coated by vapor deposition of the vaporized substance at atmospheric pressure in the plasma field. The use of vaporized silicon-based materials, fluorine-based materials, chlorine-based materials, and organo-metallic complex materials enables the manufacture of coated substrates with improved properties with regard to moisture-barrier, oxygen-barrier, hardness, scratch- and abrasion-resistance, chemical-resistance, low-friction, hydrophobic and/or oleophobic, hydrophilic, biocide and/or antibacterial, and electrostatic-dissipative/conductive characteristics.

Claims

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; and

depositing the vaporized precursor over said substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said precursor includes a component selected from the group consisting of siloxanes, silanes, silazanes, fluoro-silicones, fluoro-carbons, chloro-silicones, chloro-carbons, organo-metallic complexes of silver, copper, boron or aluminum, or a mixture thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber, glass, or a mixture thereof.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber, glass, or a mixture thereof.

5. A method for manufacturing a coated substrate by a process of vapor deposition and concuzrent 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;

mixing a vapor precursor with the plasma gas in the process space; and

depositing the vaporized coating material over said substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said precursor includes a component selected from the group consisting of siloxanes, silanes, silazanes, fluoro-silicones, fluoro-carbons, chloro-silicones, chloro-carbons, organo-metallic complexes of silver, copper, boron or aluminum, or a mixture thereof.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber fabric, glass, or a mixture thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber fabric, glass, or a mixture thereof.

9. 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 of opposite polarities 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 into the process space at substantially atmospheric pressure; and

depositing the vaporized precursor over said substrate;

wherein said first and second electrodes are positioned on a same side of said process space.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said precursor includes a component selected from the group consisting of siloxanes, silanes, silazanes, fluoro-silicones, fluoro-carbons, chloro-silicones, chloro-carbons, organo-metallic complexes of silver, copper, boron or aluminum, or a mixture thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber, glass, or a mixture thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber, glass, or a mixture thereof.

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 of opposite polarities 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;

mixing a vapor precursor with the plasma gas in the process space; and

depositing the vaporized coating material over said substrate;

wherein said first and second electrodes are positioned on a same side of said process space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said precursor includes a component selected from the group consisting of siloxanes, silanes, silazanes, fluoro-silicones, fluoro-carbons, chloro-silicones, chloro-carbons, organo-metallic complexes of silver, copper, boron or aluminum, or a mixture thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said substrate includee a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber fabric, glass, or a mixture thereof.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said substrate includes a component selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a metal, a woven fiber fabric, a nonwoven fiber fabric, glass, or a mixture thereof.