TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Condition: The inorganic coating is impermeable to gases and is transparent. It has a thickness of 1 nm to 1 microm, preferably 45-350 nm. The multilayer structure has a smooth flat surface in direct contact with the first inorganic coating.Preferred Material: The inorganic coating is completely or essentially made of an inorganic material comprising silicon dioxide, silicon oxides (SiOx), SiOxCy, silicon nitride, SixNyCz, SiOxNy, titanium oxide, titanium oxides (TiOx), zirconium oxide, ZrOx, aluminum oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide, lead oxide, lead dioxide, boron oxide, phosphorus pentoxide, tantalum oxide, yttrium oxide, barium oxide, magnesium oxide, amorphous carbon, sulfur, selenium, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, calcium oxide, their alloys and/or compounds.x = 1-3;y = 0.01-5;z = 0.01-5.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Condition: The organic coating exhibits diffusion controlled permeation of water vapor and oxygen. It has a thickness of 5 nm - 10 microm, preferably 20-500 nm. The organic substrate has a thickness of 5-5000 microm. The multilayer barrier has a hardness of less than 2 GPa.Preferred Component: The organic coating is completely or essentially made of an organic material comprising plasma-deposited coatings obtained from mixtures containing at least one organic substance, gas or vapor at normal pressure, with or without contribution of inert or reactive gases. The organic substance comprises hydrocarbons, organic compounds containing heteroatoms, alcohols, ethers and/or esters, organosilicon compounds, or organometallic compounds.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS - Preferred Structure: The multilayer structure has an oxygen permeation measured at ASTM F1927 and ASTM D3985 which is lower than 2, preferably lower than 0.01 cm3/m2day.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The substrate comprises:(a) single, multi-layer or coextruded plastic films;(b) plastic films with a surface modified by corona discharge treatment, low or atmospheric pressure glow discharge, flame, heat treatment or a radiation treatment; or(c) plastic films with a surface coated with a functional coating comprising hard-coating, an anti-scratch coating, an anti-abrasion coating, an anti-reflective coating, an anti-glare coating, a chemically-active coating, an oxygen scavenger coating, a desiccant coating, an ultraviolet-protective coating or a color-adjustment coating.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Method: The deposition of the inorganic material is performed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, evaporation, reactive evaporation, sputtering, reactive sputtering, cathodic or anodic arc evaporation or wet chemical (e.g. sol-gel) in partial vacuum, or at or above atmospheric pressure (preferably using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition, in partial vacuum). The deposition of the organic coating on the inorganic coating is done in partial vacuum, or at or above atmospheric pressure, using dip coating, spray coating, cast coating, sputtering, reactive sputtering, evaporation, reactive evaporation, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, pyrolysis/condensation or pyrolysis/polymerization methods (preferably using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition or pyrolysis/polymerization method in partial vacuum).Preferred Component: The radiation comprises ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma-rays, or particle radiation, i.e. ion bombardment.