A vacuum-coating system for coating lenses comprises a vacuum chamber, an electrode holder having one or more electrodes, and a lens holder receptacle having one or more lens holders for accommodating one lens each. A separate electrode is assigned to each lens. A surface of the electrode facing the lens is a curved surface. In an outer area, the curvature of the surface of the electrode(s) can be greater than in an inner area. The distance between the electrode and the associated lens can be adjustable.

Disclosed is a facility for plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, on an inner wall of a polymer container, of a thin barrier layer, and a method for adjusting the facility. The facility includes: an enclosure mounted in a conductive recess; a device for injecting precursor gas into the enclosure; a microwave generator; and a device for diffusing microwaves in the enclosure, connected to the microwave generator, energizing and maintaining a plasma in the precursor gas. The solid-state microwave generator has variable microwave emission frequency. The facility includes a sensor measuring the energy intensity of the plasma produced in the container. The facility includes a control unit connected to the sensor and to the microwave generator, the control unit being programmed to adjust the microwave emission frequency, via the variable frequency drive, in accordance with the value of the physical quantity characterizing the energy intensity measured by the sensor.

In one aspect, a method is described. The method may include exposing a printing surface to a first plasma in order to increase a hydrophilicity of the printing surface. The method may further include, after increasing the hydrophilicity of the printing surface, depositing a printing material on the printing surface. Additionally, the method may include, after depositing the printing material on the printing surface, exposing the printing surface to a second plasma in order to increase a hydrophobicity of the printing surface.

An apparatus for the vacuum treatment of substrates in a vacuum chamber includes a substrate support device with a pylon which can be rotated about a longitudinal axis and has holding means for substrates and a plasma discharge device assigned to the pylon. The plasma discharge device includes more than two plate-shaped electrodes having excitation areas, the excitation areas of which are all oriented in the direction of the pylon and a power supply device for the excitation of a plasma discharge, by at least one electrical voltage applied to at least two of the electrodes, is provided, the excited plasma acting at least on parts of the pylon and on substrates that can be arranged on them. A process performs the vacuum coating by the apparatus.

A magnetic-recording medium includes a hydrogen and nitrogen implanted carbon overcoat (HNICOC) on a magnetic-recording layer. The HNICOC includes nitrogen implanted in a top-surface layer of the HNICOC such that a percentage ratio of a concentration of the implanted nitrogen to a concentration of carbon is between about 30 percent (%) to about 10% within a depth from about 2 ngstrom () to about 5 from the top surface of the HNICOC. An amount of hydrogen implanted in the top-surface layer is between about 1% to about 12% within a distance less than about 5 from the top surface. A data storage device that incorporates the magnetic-recording medium within a magnetic-recording disk, and a method for making the magnetic-recording medium are also described.

A device and a method for the coating of lenses. The lenses which are to be coated are arranged in pairs over parallel tubular targets such that they each overlap both a homogeneous and an inhomogeneous removal region of the target and the lenses rotated so that an especially uniform coating can be achieved.

A vapor deposition source that includes a substantially vertical plate to which first and second filament posts are coupled. The vapor deposition source also includes a filament having a first end and a second end. The filament provides a substantially concentric source of electrons. The first end of the filament is connected to the first filament post and the second end of the filament is connected to the second filament post. The first end of the filament is substantially vertically aligned with the second end of the filament when the filament is connected to the first and second posts.

An article has a cavity defined by an inner surface, the cavity having a size such that a largest sphere placeable in the cavity has a diameter of less than 7 cm and a smallest sphere placeable in the cavity has a diameter of 0.5 mm; and a hard coating on the inner surface, the hard coating having a hardness between 18 to 100 GPa, the hard coating distributed on the inner surface such that a ratio of a coating thickness at a first region of the hard coating to that at a second region of the hard coating ranges from 0.75 to 1.33.

A method for pre-treating a catheter prior to using the catheter in a medical procedure, and a related apparatus, are provided. The method comprises exposing, in a plasma chamber positioned in a medical care center, and under sterile conditions, intraluminal surfaces and extraluminal surfaces of the catheter to plasma. The plasma is electromagnetically-generated adjacently to the intraluminal surfaces and extraluminal surfaces, thereby rendering, at least temporarily, the intraluminal surfaces and extraluminal surfaces of the catheter hydrophilic.

An apparatus for treating the interior of containers includes a chamber for holding a container and provides precursor materials via an annulus formed by coaxially arranged electrodes at which plasma is created upon application of voltage and the container is treated.