Coated electronic devices and associated methods

• US 8,852,693 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liquipel IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Liquipel IP LLC
• Inventors: Legein, Filip, Vanlandeghem, Anthony, Martens, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan, Dah-Wei D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dagenais, Kristen A
• Application Number:
  US13/111,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 427/488, 118/728
• US Class Current: 427/488
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 133/16 Homopolymers or copolymers of esters containing halogen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0227 by cleaning or etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0243 for decorative purposes

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device and related method, wherein the device has a polymeric coating with low toxicity. The polymeric coating formed by exposing the electronic device to continuous plasma comprising a compound of CH₂═C(R₁)—COO—R₂, where R₁ includes —H or —CH₃; and where R₂ includes —(CH₂)₂—(CF₂)_m—CF₃ and m is 3 or 5.

Claims

1. A method of coating a surface of an electronic device, comprising:

exposing the surface of the electronic device to a plasma comprising a compound with the following chemical formula;

CH₂═

C(R₁)—

COO—

R₂

where R₁ includes —

H or CH₃, R₂ includes —

(CH₂)₂—

(CF₂)_m—

CF₃, and m is 3 or 5, so as to form a polymeric coating on the surface, the polymeric coating having an oleophobicity level of at least 5, and

placing the electronic device in one of a plurality of trays in a plasma chamber wherein each tray is proximate to a proximate electrode wherein each electrode is connected to a power source, and generates plasma to encompass the contents of each tray,

introducing the compound into the plasma chamber through a control mechanism,

wherein the polymeric coating has a low toxicity level with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) level of less than 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) and a perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) level of less than 0.2 parts per billion (ppb) and wherein the plasma is formed at a continuous power setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating has an oleophobicity level of 5 or 6.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a polymer selected from a group consisting of:

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing the compound in a plasma chamber at a flow rate from about 30 cm³/min to about 50 cm³/min, prior to exposing the surface of the electronic device to the plasma comprising the compound.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is a low pressure plasma of less than 1000 mTorr.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the device is opened prior to exposing the surface to the plasma.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising cleaning, etching, or activating the electronic device prior to exposing the surface to the plasma.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising degassing the electronic device prior to exposing the surface to the plasma.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed at a pressure between about 10 mTorr and about 1000 mTorr, at a temperature of about 5°

C. to about 200°

C., and at a frequency of about 20 kHz to about 2.45 GHz, and at a power setting from about 5 W and about 5000 W.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed at a pressure between about 20 mTorr and about 60 mTorr.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed at a temperature of about 40°

C. to about 50°

C.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed at a frequency of about 12 MHz to about 15 MHz.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed using a proximate electrode at a power setting ranging from about 0.017 to 0.023 W per cm².

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating is formed at a rate of about 25 to 75 nm of thickness on the electronic device per minute.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistants (PDA), a computer, a tablet computer, a music player, a camera, a video recorder, a battery, an e reader, a radio device, and a gaming device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of exposing comprises:

placing the electronic device in a plasma chamber;

forming a continuous plasma in the plasma chamber in the presence of the compound to form a vaporized compound; and

contacting the vaporized compound with the surface of the electronic device, thereby forming the polymeric coating thereon.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymeric coating has a final thickness between 250 nm and 500 nm.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the tray has a length and a thickness and the proximate electrode has a length and a thickness and wherein the length tray is equal to the length of the proximate electrode.

17. A method of coating a surface of an electronic device, comprising:

exposing the surface of the electronic device to a plasma to form a polymeric coating comprising a polymer selected from a group consisting of;

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the polymeric coating has an oleophobicity level of at least 5.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the polymeric coating has an oleophobicity level of 5 or 6.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the polymeric coating is formed at a rate of about 25 to 75 nm of thickness on the electronic device per minute.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the electronic device is selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistants (PDA), a computer, a tablet computer, a music player, a camera, a video recorder, a battery, an e reader, a radio device, and a gaming device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the plasma is formed at a power setting ranging from about 0.017 to 0.023 W per cm² of the proximate electrode.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the polymeric coating has a final thickness between 250 nm and 500 nm.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the tray has a length and a thickness and the proximate electrode has a length and a thickness and wherein the length tray is equal to the length of the proximate electrode.