RF POWER SUPPLY

• US 20090027936A1
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huettinger Elektronik GmbH + Company KG (TRUMPF SE + Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Huettinger Elektronik GmbH + Company KG (TRUMPF SE + Co. KG)
• Inventors: Miller, Alex, Pivit, Erich, Glueck, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/06 by measuring current and voltage G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/02 Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32045 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the glow discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5383 in a self-oscillating arrangement H02M7/538 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2806 with semiconductor devices and specially adapted for lamps without electrodes in the vessel, e.g. surface discharge lamps, electrodeless discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

An RF power supply, in particular a plasma supply device, for generating an output power greater than 500 W at an output frequency of at least 3 MHz includes at least one inverter connectable to a DC power supply, which inverter comprises at least one switching element and an output network. An accompanying line connects an electrical component to the inverter by a lead-in of the output network.

Claims

1. An RF power supply for generating an output power larger than 500 W at an output frequency of at least 3 MHz, the RF power supply comprising:

at least one inverter that is configured to be connected to a DC power supply and that has with at least one switching element, that is supplied with a floating reference potential in operation;

at least one output network coupled to the at least one inverter; and

an accompanying line connecting an electrical component of the inverter at a floating reference potential to an access point at a non-floating potential.

2. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the accompanying line is arranged in a region of an output network line of the output network, which output network line is subject to RF currents in operation.

3. The RF power supply of claim 2, wherein the accompanying line is configured to accompany a winding of the output network line.

4. The RF power supply of claim 2, wherein the accompanying line is configured to accompany a primary winding of an output transformer of the output network.

5. The RF power supply of claim 2, wherein the accompanying line is at least one of twisted with the output network line, configured to run parallel to the output network line, arranged in a bifilar manner relative to the output network line, surrounded or enclosed spatially or in a planar manner by the output network line, and enclosed by a tubular shaped output network line.

6. The RF power supply of claim 2, wherein the output network line has a planar configuration and the accompanying line is arranged in the center of the output network line.

7. The RF power supply of claim 2, wherein the output network line and the accompanying line are capacitively connected to each other.

8. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the RF power supply is arranged on a multi-layer circuit board and the accompanying line is arranged on a parallel layer in the region of the output network.

9. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the accompanying line is run through a component of the output transformer for increasing a magnetic field.

10. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the accompanying line is a driver power supply line for feeding a driver supply current of a driver power supply source via the output network line to a driver of the switching element of the inverter.

11. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the access point of the accompanying line is located in the vicinity of a point of a primary winding of an output transformer of the output network that is largely free from time variations of an electrical potential.

12. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the inverter has two half bridges and the access point of the accompanying line is formed in a region of a central tapping of a primary winding of an output transformer.

13. The RF power supply of claim 12, wherein the output network line and the accompanying line are capacitively coupled by at least one discrete capacitor.

14. The RF power supply of claim 1, further comprising a common driver power supply source for at least two drivers, w potentials varying in time.

15. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the accompanying line is configured as a control line that connects via the access point directly to a control connector of the switching element of the inverter.

16. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the accompanying line is configured as a measuring line that connects an electrical component, which in operation is on a floating reference potential, via the access point to a measuring device, which in operation is on a non-floating potential.

17. The RF power supply of claim 1, wherein the inverter is configured as a half bridge and the access point of the accompanying line is located in a region of a point of the output network line at a non-floating potential.

18. A method for operating an RF power supply including a driver power supply for a driver of an inverter, wherein the reference potential of a switching element of the inverter is on a floating potential in operation, the method comprising:

via an accompanying line, feeding a supply current of the driver into an access point of an output network that is at an essentially non-floating potential.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the accompanying line is guided in the region of an output network line.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the accompanying line and the output network line are at least one of magnetically, electrically, and capacitively coupled.

21. A method for operating an RF power supply including an inverter, a driver of the inverter, and an output network, wherein a switching element of the inverte is on a floating reference potential, the method comprising:

via an accompanying line, feeding a driver output signal for the switching element into an access point of the output network that is at a non-floating potential.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the accompanying line is guided in a region of an output network line.