Surface treatment method

A method of surface treatment of a substrate comprising the steps of:

• converting a gas capable of discharge to a plasma state exhibiting gas discharge at or about atmospheric pressure, thereby creating active species;
• exposing a liquid to said active species produced by said discharge thereby creating activated liquid;
• and
• exposing a substrate to said activated liquid by spraying the substrate with the activated liquid so that said substrate is surface treated;
• wherein the liquid is contained in bath where it is exposed to the active species produced by the discharge;
• the activated liquid is collected after spraying the substrate;
• the activated liquid is circulated from where it is collected and through a purifier;
• and
• purified liquid is returned to said bath.

A method of surface treatment of a substrate comprising the steps of:

• converting a gas capable of discharge to a plasma state exhibiting gas discharge at or about atmospheric pressure, thereby creating active species;
• exposing a liquid to said active species produced by said discharge, thereby creating activated liquid;
• and
• exposing a substrate to said activated liquid so that said substrate is surface treated, wherein the step of exposing the liquid to the active species includes causing the active species to bubble through the liquid.