Abstract: A method for filling liquid crystal cells (40) with a medium (30) comprising at least one liquid crystalline material. In the method at least one liquid crystal cell (40) is placed inside a vacuum chamber (12), the vacuum chamber is evacuated, at least one fill opening (46) of the at least one liquid crystal cell (40) is contacted with the medium, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber is raised causing the medium to fill the cavity inside the liquid crystal cell. A signal indicating the amount of oxygen remaining inside the vacuum chamber is provided by an oxygen sensor (20) mounted inside the vacuum chamber and completion of the evacuation of the vacuum chamber is determined based on said signal. Further disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out the process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a coating on a substrate, wherein, opposite the substrate, at least two expanding thermal plasma (ETP) sources are arranged which provide the substrate with a coating, wherein the substrate is located in a process room in which the pressure is lower than the pressure, prevailing in the ETP sources, of a carrier gas which is introduced into the process room via the sources and which forms the expanding plasma, wherein the coating provided by each source has a layer thickness according to a certain deposition profile, for instance a Gaussian deposition profile, and wherein different process parameters are chosen such that, after the coating process, the addition of the deposition profiles results in a substantially uniform layer thickness of the coating on a relevant part of the substrate. Preferably, the distance between sources producing plasma at the same time is chosen and/or settable such that the expanding plasmas substantially do not influence each other.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a functional layer includes introducing a substrate into a process chamber; generating a plasma by a DC plasma cascade source; depositing a first deposition material on the substrate under the influence of the plasma. At the same time, a second deposition material is applied to the substrate with a second deposition process. The functional layer has no catalytic function.

Abstract: A cascade source includes a cathode housing, a number of cascade plates insulated from each other and stacked on top of each other which together bound at least one plasma channel, and an anode plate provided with an outflow opening connecting to the plasma channel. One cathode is provided per plasma channel, which cathode includes an electrode which is adjustable relative to the cathode housing in the direction of the plasma channel. The clamp may be of the collet chuck type. At least a part of the housing of the source may be substantially transparent. A method for controlling the cascade source in use includes monitoring the electromagnetic radiation of the plasma through the substantially transparent housing part, and, dependent on the monitored radiation, controlling the plasma forming process in the source by variation of the gas supply, or variation of the potential difference between the cathode and the anode or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A method for treating a surface of at least one substrate, wherein the at least one substrate is placed in a process chamber, wherein the pressure in the process chamber is relatively low, wherein a plasma is generated by at least one plasma source, wherein, during the treatment, at least one plasma source (3) and/or at least one optionally provided treatment fluid supply source is moved relative to the substrate surface. The invention further provides an apparatus for treating a surface of at least one substrate, wherein the apparatus is provided with a process chamber and at least one plasma source, wherein the at least one plasma source (3) and/or at least one optionally provided treatment fluid supply source is movably arranged.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polymer OLED, wherein after the application of a number of active layers onto a substrate to form the OLED, these active layers are encapsulated with at least one sealing, wherein prior to the application of the sealing, the OLED is heated for some time, as a result of which volatile substances present in the active layers evaporate from the OLED, and subsequently the respective sealing is applied. Optionally independently of the heating of the OLED prior to the application of the sealing, the sealing can be formed by at least a UV-setting resist layer which is applied with one of the following techniques; printing, such as inkjet printing, screen printing, tampon printing, offset printing and the like, or a mechanical coating technique, such as spray coating, curtain coating, spin coating and the like.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a catalyst, wherein a substrate (I) is introduced into a processing chamber (2, 102); wherein at least one plasma (P) is generated by at least one plasma cascade source (3, 103); wherein at least one deposition material (A, B) is deposited on the substrate (1, 101) under the influence of the plasma (P). The invention further provides an apparatus for manufacturing a catalyst, the apparatus being provided with at least one plasma cascade source (3, 103) for generating at least one plasma (P), the apparatus comprising means for bringing deposition material (A, B) into each plasma (P), the apparatus being further provided with substrate positioning means (8, 118) to bring and/or keep at least a part of a substrate (1, 101) in such a position in a processing chamber (2, 102) that the substrate (1, 101) makes contact with the plasma (P).

Abstract: A magnetic head for reading and/or writing information in direct contact with a magnetic tape, is provided with a head face and a layer structure with magnetic flux conductors, a transducer element, and a transducer gap, the layer structure terminating at the head face, and the head face being at least partly provided with a wear-resistant layer. This wear-resistant layer has a thickness of less than 10 nm. In a preferred embodiments the wear-resistant layer is built up from a chromium-oxygen layer in which the Cr, from inside to outside, changes from a Cr layer being mainly in the metallic mode into a Cr layer being mainly in the oxide mode, and in which, in the metallic mode, the chromium partly forms an alloy with the material of the magnetic flux conductors in the layer structure.