# US 2023/0054056 A1 · Silicon oxide coated polymer films and low pressure pecvd methods for producing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0054056 A1 - Document ID: US20230054056A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/787,286 - Filed: 2020-12-18 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-19 - Assignees: Agc Glass Europe - Applicants: Agc Glass Europe - Inventors: Gregory ARNOULT - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054056A1 ## CPC - C23C 16/50: using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} - C23C 16/401: {containing silicon} - C23C 16/545: {for coating elongated substrates} - H05H 1/481: {Hollow cathodes} - H05H 2245/42: Coating or etching of large items - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS ## Abstract A stress-free transparent silicon oxide coated polymer substrates and a method for depositing a stress-free transparent silicon oxide based layer on polymer substrates using a PECVD device including at least one hollow cathode plasma source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate, comprising: providing the polymer substrate, providing a low-pressure PECVD device comprising at least one linear hollow-cathode plasma source, each source comprising at least one pair of electrodes connected to an AC, DC or pulsed DC generator, for the deposition of said films on the substrate, applying an electrical power to the plasma source, so that a power density of the plasma is between 1 kW and 50 kW per linear meter of plasma source, and applying, to the polymer substrate, a gaseous precursor of oxides of silicon at a flow rate of between 50 and 700 sccm per linear meter of the plasma source, the gaseous precursor of oxides of silicon being injected in between the electrodes of each electrode pair and in between the two pairs of electrodes and a reactive gas based on oxygen or on oxygen-comprising derivatives at a flow rate of between 1500 and 4000 sccm per linear meter of the plasma source, the reactive gas being injected in the electrodes of the hollow cathode plasma source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein the PECVD device is in a vacuum chamber maintained at a pressure between 0.005 and 0.025 Torr, and wherein a ratio of a power per linear meter of the plasma source to the pressure in the vacuum chamber, is not greater than 1.5 (kW/m)/mTorr. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein the PECVD device is provided in a vacuum chamber maintained at a pressure comprised between 0.005 and 0.025 Torr and wherein a ratio of the power density of the plasma source to the pressure in the vacuum chamber, is not less than 0.2 (kW/m)/mTorr. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein the reactive gas is selected among pure O2 and a mixture of O2 and an inert gas mixture, wherein a ratio of a flow rate of O2 to a flow rate of the inert gas is between 2 and 50. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein the precursor of oxides of silicon is selected among SiH4, TMDSO and HMDSO. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein electrical power is applied to the plasma source, so that the power density of the plasma is between 2 kW and 30 kW per linear meter of plasma source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process for the production of layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrates according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the gaseous precursor of oxides of silicon is between 150 and 500 sccm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process for the production of a layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein electrical power is applied to the plasma source, so that the power density of the plasma is between 3 kW and 15 kW per linear meter of plasma source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process for the production of a layers based on silicon oxide on a polymer substrate according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the gaseous precursor of oxides of silicon is between 200 and 500 sccm.