Abstract: A method and installation for forming a coating on a substrate, wherein the substrate is contacted with a gas treatment atmosphere in order to carry out said coating. The gas treatment atmosphere includes a primary gas treatment mixture comprising excited or unstable gaseous species obtained from a device which converts an initial gas mixture into said species, and an adjacent gas treatment mixture comprising at least one gas precursor required to form said coating, whereby the adjacent mixture is not transported via said device. The adjacent gas treatment mixture is injected into the flow of the primary gas mixture when the gas exits from the device.

Abstract: This invention is related to a method for encapsulating bond regions in electronic components comprising, for example, metallic bond regions, the method comprising the steps of exposing an electronic component having at least one bond region through a primary gas atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, the gaseous species being substantially devoid of any electrical charges, the primary gas atmosphere having a pressure ranging from about 0.5×105 Pa to about 3.0×105 Pa, thereby forming a treated, non-encapulated electronic component, then encapsulating the electronic component.

Abstract: This invention is related to a method for encapsulating bond regions in electronic components comprising, for example, metallic bond regions, the method comprising the steps of exposing an electronic component having at least one bond region through a primary gas atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, the gaseous species being substantially devoid of any electrical charges, the primary gas atmosphere having a pressure ranging from about 0.5×105 Pa to about 3.0×105 Pa, thereby forming a treated, non-encapulated electronic component, then encapsulating the electronic component.

Abstract: This invention is related to a method for encapsulating bond regions in electronic components comprising, for example, metallic bond regions, the method comprising the steps of exposing an electronic component having at least one bond region through a primary gas atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, the gaseous species being substantially devoid of any electrical charges, the primary gas atmosphere having a pressure ranging from about 0.5×105 Pa to about 3.0×105 Pa, thereby forming a treated, non-encapulated electronic component, then encapsulating the electronic component.

Abstract: This invention is related to a method for encapsulating bond regions in electronic components comprising, for example, metallic bond regions, the method comprising the steps of exposing an electronic component having at least one bond region through a primary gas atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, the gaseous species being substantially devoid of any electrical charges, the primary gas atmosphere having a pressure ranging from about 0.5×105 Pa to about 3.0×105 Pa, thereby forming a treated, non-encapulated electronic component, then encapsulating the electronic component.

Abstract: A method for delivering at least two working gases from a common air supply comprising the steps of depleting the air in O2 in order to obtain a first gas mixture having an O2 content less than or equal to t1; delivering at least a portion of this first gas mixture as a first working gas; depleting another portion of this first gas mixture in O2 in order to obtain the second gas mixture having an O2 content less than or equal to t2, wherein t1 is greater than t2; and delivering the second gas mixture as a second working gas.

Abstract: In this process for dry surface treatment of at least one surface portion of an object, a gas is passed through an instrument for forming excited or unstable gas species, and said surface portion is brought in front of the outlet of said device with a view to treating it with said excited or unstable gas species, the secondary gas delivered as outlet from the instrument being subsequently taken in again by the Venturi effect and reinjected into the instrument.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for drying fluxing of a metallic surface before soldering or tinning using an alloy, according to which the surface to be fluxed is treated, at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure, with a gaseous treatment atmosphere comprising excited or unstable species and being substantially free of electrically charged species, which is obtained from a primary gas mixture and, optionally, an adjacent gas mixture, the primary gas mixture being obtained at the gas outlet of at least one apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species, in which an initial gas mixture comprising an inert gas and/or a reducing gas and/or an oxidizing gas has been converted, the adjacent gas mixture not having passed through the apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for dry cleaning or dry fluxing metallic surfaces before, during, or after a reflow soldering operation. The metallic surfaces that are dry cleaned or dry fluxed include (1) the metallic substrate on which an at least partially metallic, electronic component is to be mounted, (2) the solder paste, and (3) the metallic portions of the electronic component. The method comprises treating the metallic surface with a gaseous treatment atmosphere comprising unstable or excited gaseous species, and is substantially free of electrically charged species.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the dry surface treatment of at least one metal surface portion, according to which the portion is treated at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure by a gaseous treatment atmosphere comprising excited or unstable species and substantially devoid of electrically charged species, obtained from a primary gaseous mixture and if necessary an adjacent gaseous mixture, the primary gaseous mixture being obtained at the gas outlet of at least one device for the production of excited or unstable gaseous species, in which an initial gaseous mixture comprising an inert gas and/or a reducing gas and/or an oxidizing gas has been converted, the adjacent mixture not having passed through the device.

Abstract: A method for dry fluxing at least one metallic surface of an article comprising the steps of:a) passing at least one initial gas mixture comprising (1) at least one of an inert gas and a reducing gas and (2) an oxidizing gas mixture comprising water vapor into at least one apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species, the initial gas mixture including 50 ppm to 6% water vapor;b) converting the at least one initial gas mixture to at least one primary gas mixture comprising excited or unstable gas species; andc) treating the surface to be fluxed, at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure, with a gaseous treatment atmosphere comprising excited or unstable gas species and substantially free of electrically charged species obtained from the primary gas mixture.

Abstract: A gas excitation device, comprisinga gas excitation chamber comprising a gas inlet passage defining a path of gas in communication with a primary gas supply sources, an outlet passage for excited gas, a venturi-effect constriction arranged on the path of the gas between the primary supply source and the inlet passage, and at least one secondary gas supply source in communication with a region located downstream of the constriction, the gas delivered by the secondary source being entrained by venturi effect into the excitation chamber under the effect of the gas delivered by the primary source.

Abstract: A method of forming a gaseous treatment atmosphere capable of depositing a silicon on a metal substrate comprising the steps of:converting an initial gas mixture into a primary gas mixture in an apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species, the primary gas mixture comprising excited or unstable gaseous species substantially devoid of electrically charged species,combining the primary gas mixture with an adjacent gas mixture which comprises at least one silicon precursor gas and which has not passed through the apparatus, to form the gaseous treatment atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of forming a gaseous treatment atmosphere capable of depositing a silicon-containing film on a nonmetallic substrate comprising the steps of:converting an initial treatment gas mixture into a primary treatment gas mixture in an apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species, the primary treatment gas mixture comprising excited or unstable gaseous species substantially devoid of electrically charged species,combining the primary treatment gas mixture with an adjacent treatment gas mixture which comprises at least one gaseous silicon precursor which has not passed through the apparatus, to form the gaseous treatment atmosphere.

Abstract: A method for wave soldering a circuit having two or more faces comprising the steps of:(i) passing at least one initial gas mixture comprising at least one of an inert gas, a reducing gas and an oxidizing gas into at least one apparatus for forming excited or unstable gas species;(ii) converting the at least one initial gas mixture into at least one primary gas mixture comprising excited or unstable gas species and substantially free of electrically charged species;(iii) treating each of the two or more faces of the circuit with the at least one primary gas mixture at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure; and(iv) contacting the two or more faces of the circuit with at least one wave of a liquid soldering alloy.

Abstract: In a method of dry process fluxing at least one surface of a metallic article, the surface to be fluxed is treated with a plasma at atmospheric pressure of a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen and optionally at least one inert gas. The invention also concerns an apparatus, particularly for practicing the process, as well as a process for soldering or plating.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a tight treatment enclosure (10), means (20,22) for the axial production of a carrier gas plasma, a solid plate (30) serving as an obstacle to the plasma and located perpendicular to the enclosure axis and downstream of the plasma production means, plasma diffusion means (40) located downstream of the obstacle plate, several non-ionized vector gas supply tubes (50) issuing axially into the enclosure beneath the diffusion means and all located in the same plane around the enclosure axis, a substrate carrier (56) positioned downstream of the vector gas supply tubes and perpendicular to the axis and annular pumping means (66,16) for the gaseous medium contained in the enclosure and positioned downstream of the substrate carrier.