596997 Disclosed is a method for inspecting the product of a coating process wherein a coating has been applied to the surface of a substrate to form a coated surface, the method comprising the steps: (a) providing the product as inspection object (b) causing the release of at least one volatile species from the inspection object into the gas space adjacent to the coated surface (c) measuring the release of at least one volatile species from the inspection object into the gas space adjacent to the coated surface and (d) comparing the result of step (c) with the result of step (c) for at least one reference object measured under the same test conditions, thus determining the presence or absence of the coating, and/or a physical and/or chemical property of the coating, wherein the coating is a coating prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from an organosilicon precursor.
