A single plasma nozzle of a plasma treatment station is used to treat the card surface prior to performing drop-on-demand printing on the card surface. The single plasma nozzle has a plasma discharge width that is less than the width of the card. The card and the plasma nozzle are moved relative to one another using a two direction control scheme during plasma treatment in order to be able to plasma treat a desired area of the card surface. The card and the plasma nozzle may also be moveable toward or away from one another to change the distance therebetween.

A plasma processing method is provided. The method includes receiving a substrate in a substrate support that is configured to be movable along a linear path. The method includes providing at least one process gas into a plasma microchamber. The plasma microchamber is disposed in a processing head having a length that is at least longer than a diameter of the substrate, and said length is perpendicular to said linear path. The method includes generating a plasma in the plasma microchamber by applying power to the plasma microchamber and applying a bias power to the substrate support. The plasma microchamber has an open side process area that is oriented and directed over a surface to be processed, and the open side process area is less than an area of the surface to be processed. The method includes translating said substrate support along said linear path while said microchamber generates the plasma in the plasma microchamber for exposing said plasma over the substrate. The translating of said substrate support along the linear path while generating said plasma via said microchamber provides for exposing said plasma across the substrate. The plasma is used for either depositing or etching a material.

A plasma deposition chamber is disclosed. A substrate support for supporting a surface to be processed is in the chamber. A processing head including an array of plasma microchambers is also in the chamber. Each of the plasma microchambers includes an open side disposed over at least a first portion of the surface to be processed. The open side has an area less than an entire area of the surface to be processed. A process gas source is coupled to the chamber to provide a process gas the array of plasma microchambers. A radio frequency power supply is connected to at least one electrode of the processing head. The array of plasma microchambers is configured to generate a plasma using the process gas to deposit a layer over the at least first portion of the surface to be processed. A method for performing a plasma deposition is also disclosed.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for reducing crazing in thin film stacks deposited on large area substrates such as glass, for instance architectural glass. Crazing can occur once a conductor-insulator-conductor series of films have been deposited, thereby effectively forming a capacitor, and where the substrate spans multiple deposition chambers such the coupling between chambers can cause the effective capacitor voltage to breakdown the insulator layer between the two conductor layers. The resulting crazing can be reduced if not eliminated through the grounding of outputs of an AC power supply that assists in deposition of one of the conductor layers. The grounding is via rectified channels, such as diodes, or series of diodes such that the outputs of the AC power supply are precluded from falling below ground potential.