Method and apparatus for determining a barrier effect of a coating on a substrate

An apparatus for determining a barrier effect of a coating, the apparatus comprising:

• a provision device configured to provide at least one of a substrate with the coating on its surface, which on contact with
• a medium undergoes a change in volume and a coating on a substrate, which on contact with the medium undergoes a change in volume;
• a conditioning device configured to condition the substrate with the coating;
• a removal device configured to remove the coating from a first part of the surface of the substrate, so that the coating remains on a second part of the surface of the substrate and so that the first part of the surface has an extension (L) in a first direction delimited by the coating remaining on the second part of the surface;
• a determination device configured to determine a first height profile of a surface of the coating remaining on the second part of the surface and the first part of the surface of the substrate on a path in the first direction;
• an exposure device configured to expose the surface of the remaining coating and the first part of the surface of the substrate to the medium;
• and,
• said determination device being further configured to determine at least one of a second height profile of the surface
• of the coating remaining on the second part of the surface and the first part of the surface of the substrate on the path in the first direction after the medium exposure to the surface and a first height profile difference (H) of the surface of the coating remaining on the second part of the surface and the first part of the surface of the substrate on the path in the first direction with respect to the previously-determined height profile.

A computer program with program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program code being configured to, when the computer program is loaded onto a computer and/or run on a computer that controls an apparatus, perform a method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a substrate with the coating on its surface, which on contact with the medium undergoes a change in volume, or providing the coating on a surface of a substrate, which on contact with the medium undergoes a change in volume;
• b) conditioning of the substrate with the coating;
• c) removing the coating from a first part of the surface of the substrate, with the coating remaining on a second part of the surface of the substrate, and with the first part of the surface having an extension (L) in a first direction delimited by the
• coating remaining on the second part of the surface;
• d) determining a first height profile of a surface of the coating remaining on the second part of the surface and the first part of the surface of the substrate on a path in the first direction;
• e) exposing the surface of the remaining coating and the first part of the surface of the substrate to the medium;
• and,
• f) determining at least one of a second height profile of the surface of the coating remaining on the second part of the surface and the first part of the surface of the substrate on the path in the first direction after performing step e) and a first height profile difference (H) of the surface of the coating remaining on the second part of the surface and the first part of the surface of the substrate on the path in the first direction with respect to the previously-determined height profile.