Radio Frequency Power Delivery System

• US 20070139122A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MKS Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MKS Instruments Incorporated
• Inventors: Shajii, Ali, Kishinevsky, Michael, Goodman, Daniel, Nagarkatti, Siddharth, Smith, John, McKinney, William, Kalvaitis, Timothy, Holber, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/302
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/20 Power amplifiers, e.g. Class B amplifiers, Class C amplifiers H03F3/26 - H03F3/30 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method are provided for delivering power to a dynamic load. The system includes a power supply providing DC power having a substantially constant power open loop response, a power amplifier for converting the DC power to RF power, a sensor for measuring voltage, current and phase angle between voltage and current vectors associated with the RF power, an electrically controllable impedance matching system to modify the impedance of the power amplifier to at least a substantially matched impedance of a dynamic load, and a controller for controlling the electrically controllable impedance matching system. The system further includes a sensor calibration measuring module for determining power delivered by the power amplifier, an electronic matching system calibration module for determining power delivered to a dynamic load, and a power dissipation module for calculating power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system.

Claims

1. A system for delivering power to a dynamic load, comprising:

a power supply providing DC power having a substantially constant power open loop response;

a power amplifier for converting the DC power to RF power;

a sensor for measuring voltage, current and phase angle between voltage and current vectors associated with the RF power;

an electrically controllable impedance matching system to modify the impedance of the power amplifier to at least substantially match an impedance of a dynamic load; and

a controller for controlling the electrically controllable impedance matching system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the electrically controllable impedance matching system for simultaneous control of conductance and susceptance associated with the impedance between the power amplifier and the dynamic load.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable impedance matching system comprises an inductor, a capacitor in series with the inductor, and a plurality of switched capacitors in parallel with the dynamic load.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the inductor is a multiple tap-type inductor or a variable-type inductor.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of switched capacitors is in series with a switch and an additional capacitor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable impedance matching system comprises a capacitor, and a plurality of switched capacitors in parallel with the dynamic load, wherein each of the plurality of capacitors is in series with a switch and an additional capacitor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller simultaneously controls RF power frequency, RF power magnitude and the impedance between the power amplifier and the dynamic load.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable impedance matching system controls the frequency of the impedance matching between the power amplifier and the dynamic load.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the electrically controllable impedance matching system for regulating conductance and susceptance to setpoints that stabilize an unstable dynamic load.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor calibration measuring module for determining power delivered by the power amplifier;

an electronic matching system calibration module for determining power delivered to a dynamic load; and

a power dissipation module for calculating power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system is the difference between the power delivered by the power amplifier and the power delivered to the dynamic load.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein sensor calibration measuring module calibrates the sensor into a resistive load.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the resistive load is 50 Ω

.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein electronic matching system calibrates an output of the electrically controllable impedance matching system into a load simulator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the load simulator is an inverse electrically controllable impedance matching system.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic matching system calibration module includes:

a power meter calibration module for determining power delivered to a resistive load; and

a load simulator calibration module for determining power dissipated inside the load simulator.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the resistive load is 50 Ω

.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the power delivered to the dynamic load is a sum of the power delivered to a resistive load and the power dissipated inside the load simulator.

19. A method for delivering power to a dynamic load, comprising:

providing DC power having a substantially constant power open loop response;

converting the DC power to RF power through a power amplifier;

measuring voltage, current and phase angle between voltage and current vectors associated with the RF power through a sensor; and

modifying the impedance of the power amplifier to at least substantially match an impedance of a dynamic load with an electrically controllable impedance matching system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising simultaneously controlling conductance and susceptance associated with the impedance between the power amplifier and the dynamic load.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising simultaneously controlling RF power frequency, RF power magnitude and the impedance between the power amplifier and the dynamic load.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising controlling the frequency of the impedance matching between the power amplifier and the dynamic load.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising controlling the electrically controllable impedance matching system for regulating conductance and susceptance to setpoints that stabilize an unstable dynamic load.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining RF power delivered by the power amplifier;

determining power delivered to a dynamic load; and

calculating power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system is the difference between the power delivered by the power amplifier and the power delivered to the dynamic load.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein determining power delivered to a dynamic load includes:

determining power delivered to a resistive load; and

determining power dissipated inside a load simulator.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the power delivered to the dynamic load is a sum of the power delivered to a resistive load and the power dissipated inside the load simulator.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising calibrating the sensor into a resistive load.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising calibrating an output of the electrically controllable impedance matching system into a load simulator.

30. A method for delivering power to a dynamic load, comprising:

means for providing DC power having a substantially constant power open loop response;

means for converting the DC power to RF power through a power amplifier;

means for measuring voltage, current and phase angle between voltage and current vectors associated with the RF power through a sensor; and

means for modifying the impedance of the power amplifier to at least substantially match an impedance of a dynamic load with an electrically controllable impedance matching system.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

means for determining RF power delivered by the power amplifier;

means for determining power delivered to a dynamic load; and

means for calculating power dissipated in the electrically controllable impedance matching system.