TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The plasma is of species including at least one selected from oxygen, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide. The first plasma is of species including at least one selected from silanes, siloxanes and organometallics, and where the second plasma is of species including at least one selected from oxygen, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide. First plasma is additionally of species including at least one selected from oxygen, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The plasma is additionally of species including at least one selected from silanes, siloxanes and organometallics. The first plasma is of species including a silane and oxygen and where the second plasma is of species including oxygen. The silane is tetramethylsilane. The carbon fiber construction is provided as a roll good and the step of exposing the upper surface to at least one plasma is performed in continuous roll-to-roll fashion.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: In making fuel cell gas diffusion layer, step (c) comprises exposing the upper surface to a first plasma; and exposing the upper surface to a second plasma. The method additionally comprises partially covering the upper surface with a mask having windows according to a pattern such that the hydrophilic surface layer having a thickness of no more than 1 micron is applied according to the pattern. Step (c) of exposing the upper surface to at least one plasma is carried out at sub-atmospheric pressures; or step (c) comprises exposing the upper surface to a plasma of silane, oxygen, and essentially no other species. The method additionally comprises partially covering the upper surface with a mask having windows according to a pattern such that the hydrophilic surface layer having a thickness of no more than 1 micron is applied according to the pattern. The method further comprises exposing the upper surface to at least one priming plasma of species including at least one selected from oxygen, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide prior to step (c). The method additionally comprises exposing the upper surface to at least one priming plasma of species including at least one selected from oxygen, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide.