Atmospheric glow discharge with concurrent coating deposition

• US 7,067,405 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• 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., Yializis, Angelo, Ellwanger, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAI SING
• Application Number:
  US10/883,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20050020038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/503
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0263 with IR heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/068 using ionising radiations (gamma, X, electrons)
• 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 1/2431 using cylindrical electrodes, e.g. rotary drums
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/4697 using glow discharges

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 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.

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;

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.

24. 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.

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.