Apparatus and method for depositing multiple coating materials in a common plasma coating zone

Abstract

In an embodiment a method of coating a substrate comprises moving the substrate along a path of travel through a coating zone; generating a plasma jet directed toward a first side of the substrate; injecting a first reagent into the plasma jet; injecting a second reagent into the plasma jet; and regulating the flow of the first reagent according to a first set of parameters so that the first reagent is injected upstream of the plasma jet relative to the path of travel of the substrate; regulating the flow of the second reagent according to a second set of parameters so that the second reagent is injected downstream of the plasma jet relative to the path of travel of the substrate, such that the first and second reagents are applied to the substrate to form at least one layer of a coating on the substrate.

1 . A method of coating a substrate, the method comprising:
 moving the substrate along a path of travel through a coating zone;   generating a plasma jet directed toward a first side of the substrate;   injecting a first reagent from an upstream discharge orifice into the plasma jet in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the plasma jet;   injecting a second reagent from a downstream discharge orifice into the plasma jet in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the plasma jet; wherein the second reagent is different from the first reagent;   injecting an oxidizing gas; and   regulating the flow of the first reagent according to a first set of parameters so that the first reagent is only injected upstream of the plasma jet relative to the path of travel of the substrate;   regulating the flow of the second reagent according to a second set of parameters so that the second reagent is only injected downstream of the plasma jet relative to the path of travel of the substrate, such that the first and second reagents are applied to the substrate to form at least one layer of a coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a first layer on the substrate only formed from the first reagent and forming a second layer on the substrate only formed from the second reagent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a first layer on the substrate principally formed from the first reagent and forming a second layer on the substrate principally formed from the second reagent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second reagents mix in the plasma jet to form a blended coating on the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first reagent and the second reagent do not fully penetrate into the plasma jet prior to being applied to the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first reagent and the second reagent fully penetrate into the plasma jet prior to being applied to the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a controller is configured to perform the regulating the flow of the first reagent and the regulating the flow of the second reagent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the upstream discharge orifice and the downstream discharge orifice are respectively associated with an upstream manifold and a downstream manifold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the upstream manifold and the downstream manifold respectively include a plurality of upstream and downstream orifices. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the upstream discharge orifice and the downstream discharge orifice are respectively associated with an upstream injector and a downstream injector. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising issuing the plasma jet from a plasma source; wherein the plasma source is one of a plurality of plasma sources of a plasma array; wherein the injecting the first reagent comprises injecting the first reagent from a plurality of upstream discharge orifices; wherein the injecting the second reagent comprises injecting the second reagent from a plurality of downstream discharge orifices; wherein each upstream discharge orifice and each downstream discharge orifice is associated with each of the plasma sources of the plasma array, respectively. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the upstream and downstream discharge orifices is located within a region that includes the plasma jet of the plasma source. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the upstream and downstream discharge orifices is located outside of a region that includes the plasma jet of the plasma source. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying a second coating to a second side of the substrate.