Barrier-film forming apparatus, barrier-film forming method, and barrier-film coated container

Abstract

A barrier-film forming apparatus that forms a barrier film on an inner face of a container having a concave or convex portion as a processing target, including: a dielectric member having a cavity sized to enclose the container, an external electrode covering an outer circumference of the dielectric member, an exhaust unit installed on an end face of the external electrode on a side where a mouth of the container is located, with an insulating member interposed therebetween, and depressurizing inside of the container through an exhaust pipe, an internal electrode inserted from a side of the exhaust pipe and also serving as a gas blowout unit that blows out medium gas for generating a barrier film into the container, and an electric-field applying unit that applies an electric field for generating exhaust between the external electrode and a ground electrode.

1 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A barrier-film forming apparatus that forms a barrier film on an inner face of a container having at least one concave or convex portion as a processing target container, the barrier-film forming apparatus comprising:
 a dielectric member that has a cavity sized to enclose the container;   an external electrode that covers an outer circumference of the dielectric member;   an exhaust unit that is installed on an end face of the external electrode on a side where a mouth of the container is located, with an insulating member interposed therebetween, and depressurizes inside of the container through an exhaust pipe;   a gas blowout unit that blows out medium gas for generating a barrier film, into the container; and   an electric-field applying unit that applies an electric field for generating discharge between the external electrode and a ground electrode.   
     
     
         44 . The barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein
 the dielectric member has a tubular shape or an approximately tubular shape with a bottom or without bottom, and   an average thickness/a permittivity of the dielectric member is in a range of 0.95 to 3.8.   
     
     
         45 . The barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein a sum of converted distances d i /∈ i  obtained by dividing a thickness (d i ) of the dielectric member or a space by a relative permittivity (∈ i ) from an inner surface of the external electrode to the inner face of the container is approximately uniform over the entire container. 
     
     
         46 . The barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein a material of the dielectric member, thicknesses of the dielectric member and the space, and a shape of the external electrode are combined to make a sum of the converted distances d i /∈ i  from an inner surface of the external electrode to the inner face of the container approximately uniform over substantially the entire container. 
     
     
         47 . The barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein, with respect to a sum of converted distances d i /∈ i  obtained by dividing a thickness (d i ) of the dielectric member or a space by a relative permittivity (∈ i ) at each point of the container surface on a cross section of the container from an inner surface of the external electrode to the inner face of the container, a value obtained by dividing a standard deviation of the sum at each point of the entire container by an average thereof is equal to or lower than 0.75. 
     
     
         48 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 . 
     
     
         49 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein
 the container as the processing target has an approximately tubular shape.   
     
     
         50 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein
 the container as the processing target has an approximately tubular shape and has at least one concave portion.   
     
     
         51 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein
 plural dielectric members having various cavity shapes are prepared, one of the dielectric members is selected to be suited to a shape or the like of the container as the processing target, and the barrier film is then formed on the container.   
     
     
         52 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein
 all or a part of the dielectric member, all or a part of the external electrode, and all or a part of the earth shield are moved together as a unit by a driving unit, and   the vacuum container is opened or closed to insert or remove the container.   
     
     
         53 . A barrier-film forming method, wherein
 the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43  is used, and   the container is inserted or removed by neck handling.   
     
     
         54 . A barrier-film coated container that is obtained by approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 43 . 
     
     
         55 . A barrier-film forming apparatus comprising:
 a dielectric member having a cavity sized to enclose at least a primary portion of a container as a processing target, which cavity matches a space formed by a maximum path line on which an outer circumference of the container passes, or has a clearance outside the space;   an external electrode installed on a side of an outer circumference of the dielectric member;   an exhaust unit that depressurizes inside of the container through an exhaust pipe;   a gas blowout unit that blows out medium gas for generating a barrier film, into the container; and   an electric-field applying unit connected to the external electrode to generate discharge in the container, wherein a barrier film is provided on an inner face of the container.   
     
     
         56 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 . 
     
     
         57 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein
 the container as the processing target has an approximately tubular shape.   
     
     
         58 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein
 the container as the processing target has an approximately tubular shape and has at least one concave portion.   
     
     
         59 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein
 plural dielectric members having various cavity shapes are prepared, one of the dielectric members is selected to be suited to a shape or the like of the container as the processing target, and the barrier film is then formed on the container.   
     
     
         60 . A barrier-film forming method of approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein
 all or a part of the dielectric member, all or a part of the external electrode, and all or a part of the earth shield are moved together as a unit by a driving unit, and   the vacuum container is opened or closed to insert or remove the container.   
     
     
         61 . A barrier-film forming method, wherein
 the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55  is used, and   the container is inserted or removed by neck handling.   
     
     
         62 . The barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 , wherein the dielectric member has an opening through which the container can be inserted from a bottom of the container toward a bottom of the external electrode of a tubular shape with a bottom. 
     
     
         63 . A barrier-film coated container that is obtained by approximately uniformly forming a barrier film on an inner face of a container as a processing target by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 55 . 
     
     
         64 . A barrier-film forming apparatus that forms a barrier film on an inner face of a container, wherein
 voltage to be applied to the inner face of the container is made approximately uniform by using:   a dielectric member installed between an external electrode and the container; and   a clearance between the external electrode and the container, or a clearance between the dielectric member and the inner face of the container,   a mouth end portion of the external electrode points downward to orient the container to have a mouth pointing downward, and   an exhaust pipe is attached below the end portion of the external electrode, with an insulating member interposed therebetween, thereby forming the barrier film on the inner face of the container.   
     
     
         65 . A barrier-film forming method of using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 64 , wherein
 the container is vertically inverted, and   insertion or removal of the container into or from the external electrode is then performed by neck handling.   
     
     
         66 . A barrier-film coated container that is obtained by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 64 , wherein
 the container is vertically inverted, and   insertion or removal of the container into or from the external electrode is then performed by neck handling, thereby forming a barrier film on an inner face of the container as a processing target.   
     
     
         67 . A barrier-film forming apparatus that forms a barrier film on an inner face of a container having at least one concave or convex portion as a processing target container, the barrier-film forming apparatus comprising:
 a dielectric member that has a cavity sized to enclose the container;   an external electrode that covers an outer circumference of the dielectric member;   an exhaust unit that is installed on an end face of the external electrode on a side where a mouth of the container is located, with an insulating member interposed therebetween, and depressurizes inside of the container through an exhaust pipe;   a gas blowout unit that blows out medium gas for generating a barrier film, into the container; and   an electric-field applying unit that applies an electric field for generating discharge between the external electrode and a ground electrode, wherein   a mouth end portion of the external electrode points downward to orient the container to have a mouth pointing downward, and   the exhaust pipe is attached below the end portion of the external electrode, with the insulating member interposed therebetween, thereby forming the barrier film on the inner face of the container.   
     
     
         68 . A barrier-film forming method of using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 67 , wherein
 the container is vertically inverted, and   insertion or removal of the container into or from the external electrode is then performed by neck handling.   
     
     
         69 . A barrier-film coated container that is obtained by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 67 , wherein
 the container is vertically inverted, and   insertion or removal of the container into or from the external electrode is then performed by neck handling, thereby forming a barrier film on an inner face of the container as a processing target.   
     
     
         70 . A barrier-film forming apparatus comprising:
 a dielectric member having a cavity sized to enclose at least a primary portion of a container as a processing target, which cavity matches a space formed by a maximum pass line on which an outer circumference of the container passes, or has a clearance outside the space;   an external electrode installed on a side of an outer circumference of the dielectric member;   an exhaust unit that depressurizes inside of the container through an exhaust pipe;   a gas blowout unit that blows out medium gas for generating a barrier film, into the container; and   an electric-field applying unit connected to the external electrode to generate discharge in the container, wherein   a mouth end portion of the external electrode points downward to orient the container to have a mouth pointing downward, and   the exhaust pipe is attached below the end portion of the external electrode, with an insulating member interposed therebetween, thereby forming a barrier film on an inner face of the container.   
     
     
         71 . A barrier-film forming method of using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 70 , wherein
 the container is vertically inverted, and   insertion or removal of the container into or from the external electrode is then performed by neck handling.   
     
     
         72 . A barrier-film coated container that is obtained by using the barrier-film forming apparatus according to  claim 70 , wherein
 the container is vertically inverted, and   insertion or removal of the container into or from the external electrode is then performed by neck handling, thereby forming a barrier film on an inner face of the container as a processing target.