Impedance matching methods and systems performing the same

• US 8,120,259 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mks Korea Ltd. (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PlaSmart Incorporated (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae-Hyun, Lee, Sang-Won, Lee, Yong-Gwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US12/270,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 315/3.5, 315/5.35, 315/39.3, 315/111.21, 315/111.31, 315/111.41, 333/17.3, 333/32, 333/99.PL, 156/345, 156/626, 156/643.1
• US Class Current: 315/111.21
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

Provided are an impedance matching method and a matching system performing the same. The method includes: measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; determining a pulse mode of the power source; extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and controlling the matching system through the control parameter, wherein the matching system is controlled differently according to the pulse mode.

Claims

1. A matching method of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the method comprising:

measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

determining a pulse mode of the power source;

extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

controlling the matching system through the control parameter,

wherein the matching system is controlled differently according to the pulse mode; and

wherein determining a pulse mode of the power source comprises determining an on time interval of when the power source is in an on state and an off time interval of when the power source is in an off state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the on time interval and the off time interval uses a power source trigger signal for controlling an operation of the power source or the electrical characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the pulse mode of the power source further comprises determining a pulse period that is defined by an interval of when the power source changes from an i^th on time state to an i+1^th on time state,

wherein the matching system is controlled by differently setting the control parameter according to the pulse period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the pulse mode of the power source further comprises determining the pulse mode as a slow pulse mode when the pulse period is greater than a predetermined time and determining the pulse mode as a fast pulse mode when the pulse period is less than the predetermined time,

wherein the matching system is controlled by differently setting the control parameter according to the pulse mode of the power source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein when the pulse mode is the slow pulse mode, the power source allows the matching system to be in an idle state during the off time interval.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein when the pulse mode is the fast pulse mode, the power source controls the matching system through the control parameter during the off time interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if the off time interval of the power source lasts more than a critical off time, the matching system is controlled by setting the control parameter in a preset state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting of the control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line comprises:

calculating an impedance of a load through impedance; and

extracting a control parameter through the impedance of the load.

9. A matching method of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the method comprising:

measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

determining a pulse mode of the power source;

extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

controlling the matching system through the control parameter;

wherein the matching system is controlled differently according to the pulse mode; and

wherein the determining of the pulse mode of the power source further comprises progressing a continuous wave mode of a predetermined time before the pulse mode of the power source is determined.

10. A matching method of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the method comprising:

measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

determining a pulse mode of the power source;

extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

controlling the matching system through the control parameter;

wherein the matching system is controlled differently according to the pulse mode; and

wherein the measuring of the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line further comprises removing the noise of the power transmission line.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the removing of the noise of the power transmission line uses lock-in detection.

12. A matching method of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the method comprising:

measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

determining a pulse mode of the power source;

extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

controlling the matching system through the control parameter;

wherein the matching system is controlled differently according to the pulse mode; and

wherein the extracting of the control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line comprises;

converting the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line into a normalized characteristic vector;

extracting a displacement vector by analyzing the characteristic vector in an analytic coordinate;

converting the displacement vector into a converted device vector; and

converting the converted device vector into a driving vector.

13. A matching method of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the method comprising:

measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

determining a pulse mode of the power source;

extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

controlling the matching system through the control parameter;

wherein the matching system is controlled differently according to the pulse mode; and

wherein the extracting of the control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line comprises;

extracting a control parameter by comparing an absolute value of impedance with characteristic impedance; and

extracting a control parameter by comparing a phase of impedance with a reference value.

14. A matching device of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the matching device comprising:

a sensing unit measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

a measurement result analyzing unit processing the electrical characteristic;

a pulse mode processing unit processing a pulse mode according to the power source;

a control parameter extracting unit extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

a controller controlling the matching system through the control parameter according to the pulse mode;

wherein the pulse mode processing unit is configured to determine an on time interval of when the power source is in an on state and an off time interval of when the power source is in an off state.

15. The matching device of claim 14, wherein the pulse mode processing unit is configured to determine the pulse mode as a slow pulse mode when a pulse period is greater than a predetermined time and as a fast pulse mode when the pulse period is less than the predetermined time, and differently set a control parameter according to the pulse mode of the power source.

16. A matching device of an electric device including a power source, a load, a power transmission line, and a matching system, the matching device comprising:

a sensing unit measuring an electrical characteristic of the power transmission line;

a measurement result analyzing unit processing the electrical characteristic;

a pulse mode processing unit processing a pulse mode according to the power source;

a control parameter extracting unit extracting a control parameter for impedance matching from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line; and

a controller controlling the matching system through the control parameter according to the pulse mode;

wherein the measurement result analyzing unit further comprises a noise removing unit removing noise from the electrical characteristic of the power transmission line.