Apparatus and method for coating the inner surface of a hollow article

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for forming a coating on and/or modifying the properties of the inner surface of a hollow article (1), wherein the apparatus comprises a plasma source (2), the plasma source (2) having an elongate shape and comprising a cathode (3) as well as a target (4), wherein the target (4) is a thermionic electron emission source, wherein the target (4) is connected to the cathode (3) in an electrically conductive manner, wherein the plasma source (2) further comprises a masking (5) which partially covers the outer surface of the cathode (3) and the target (4), and which masking (5) is adapted to prevent the formation of plasma on an area covered by the masking (5) during operation of the apparatus, wherein a plasma formation area (6) is provided on the target (4), which plasma formation area (6) is not covered by the masking (5). The invention further relates to a target (4), an arrangement of the apparatus, a method, as well as a hollow article (1).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.