An apparatus for coating a thin film on a flexible substrate is described. The apparatus includes a coating drum having an outer surface for guiding the flexible substrate through a first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region, a gas separation unit for separating the first vacuum processing region and at least one second vacuum processing region and adapted to form a slit through which the flexible substrate can pass between the outer surface of the coating drum and the gas separation unit, wherein the gas separation unit is adapted to control fluid communication between the first processing region and the second processing region by adjusting the position of the gas separation unit.

A method for fabricating an electrode for a battery cell includes supplying a first electrode film from a first roll. The first electrode film comprises an active material for exchanging lithium ions and a binder. The method includes treating a first side of the first electrode film using a first plasma treatment system; supplying a current collector, and heating and pressing the first side of the first electrode film to a first side of the current collector together using first and second rollers.

Provided is a laminate film having a substrate and at least one thin film layer which is formed on at least one surface of the substrate, wherein at least one of the thin film layers satisfies all of the following conditions (i) to (iv): (i) silicon atoms, oxygen atoms, and carbon atoms are contained, (ii) a content ratio X (at %) of the number of carbon atoms relative to a sum of the number of silicon atoms, the number of oxygen atoms, and the number of carbon atoms is 3 to 25 at %, (iii) an average density d (g/cm.sup.3) is 2.12 g/cm.sup.3 or higher and is less than 2.25 g/cm.sup.3, and (iv) the content ratio X (at %) of the number of carbon atoms and the average density d (g/cm.sup.3) satisfy a condition represented by the following formula (1):
d>(2.22?0.008X)(1).

A plasma treatment method subjects a long object to be treated to plasma treatment by placing the long object to be treated in contact with plasma, the density distribution of which varies while selectively passing the long object to be treated through an area having high plasma density so that a surface of the long object can be thoroughly and uniformly subjected to plasma treatment. The method is applied to a plasma treatment apparatus, and a plasma-treated long object can be obtained by the method.

It is an objective of the present invention to improve coatability/printability and adhesiveness of a fluorine-based resin film to a sintered film of ink. A fluorine-based resin film 9 is passed through a treatment space 1a under near atmospheric pressure between electrodes 11, 21. A process gas composed of an inert gas is supplied to the treatment space 1a. Voltage is applied to between the electrodes to generate electric discharge in the treatment space 1a. A treatment surface 9a is heated to a temperature that is not higher than a continuous use temperature and not lower than a temperature lower than the continuous use temperature by 100 degrees C. A volume concentration of oxygen in the treatment space 1a is not higher than 1000 ppm.

A plasma treatment method that includes providing treatment chamber including an intermediate heating volume and an interior treatment volume. The interior treatment volume contains an electrode assembly for generating a plasma and the intermediate heating volume heats the interior treatment volume. A work piece is traversed through the treatment chamber. A process gas is introduced to the interior treatment volume of the treatment chamber. A plasma is formed with the electrode assembly from the process gas, wherein a reactive species of the plasma is accelerated towards the fiber tow by flow vortices produced in the interior treatment volume by the electrode assembly.

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.

A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber and having a ceiling, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece facing the ceiling, an intra-chamber electrode assembly that includes an insulating frame and a filament extending laterally through the plasma chamber between the ceiling and the workpiece support, the filament including a conductor at least partially surrounded by an insulating shell that extends from the insulating frame, and a first RF power source to supply a first RF power to the conductor of the intra-chamber electrode assembly.

A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber and having a ceiling, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, and an intra-chamber electrode assembly. The intra-chamber electrode assembly includes an insulating frame, a first plurality of coplanar filaments that extend laterally through the plasma chamber between the ceiling and the workpiece support along a first direction, and a second plurality of coplanar filaments that extend in parallel through the plasma chamber along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each filament of the first and second plurality of filaments includes a conductor at least partially surrounded by an insulating shell. A first RF power source supplies a first RF power to the conductor of the intra-chamber electrode assembly.

A treatment-target modification device is configured to modify a treatment target being conveyed, with discharge. The treatment-target modification device includes: a hydrophilization unit configured to perform hydrophilization treatment on the treatment target (20; and a measurement unit configured to measure two-dimensional distribution of a reflectance spectrum of light reflected from the hydrophilization-treated treatment target.