Plasma supply device
First Claim
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1. A plasma supply device comprising:
- an inverter connected to a DC power supply, wherein the inverter has at least one switching element, and wherein the inverter is configured to convert DC power from the DC power supply into AC power greater than 500 W at an essentially constant basic frequency greater than 3 MHz; and
an output network electrically coupled to the inverter, the output network being electrically coupled to a plasma load, wherein the output network is configured to provide the AC power from the inverter to the plasma load and filter reflected power outside the basic frequency that is returned from the plasma load, the output network comprising first and second inductances electrically coupled between the inverter and a transformer, the output network further comprising a first capacitance electrically coupled to the transformer, and the output network further comprising at least one impedance adapter element configured to electrically couple the transformer to the plasma load, the impedance adapter being configured to match an output network impedance to a load impedance of the plasma load; and
wherein at least one inductance in the output network includes a magnetic field strengthening element that is a Perminvar ferrite.
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Abstract
A plasma supply device generates an output power greater than 500 W at an essentially constant basic frequency greater than 3 MHz and powers a plasma process to which is supplied the generated output power, and from which reflected power is returned to the plasma supply device. The plasma supply device includes at least one inverter connected to a DC power supply, which inverter has at least one switching element, and an output network, wherein the at least one output network includes at least one inductance that has at least one magnetic field strengthening element that is a Perminvar ferrite.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A plasma supply device comprising:
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an inverter connected to a DC power supply, wherein the inverter has at least one switching element, and wherein the inverter is configured to convert DC power from the DC power supply into AC power greater than 500 W at an essentially constant basic frequency greater than 3 MHz; and an output network electrically coupled to the inverter, the output network being electrically coupled to a plasma load, wherein the output network is configured to provide the AC power from the inverter to the plasma load and filter reflected power outside the basic frequency that is returned from the plasma load, the output network comprising first and second inductances electrically coupled between the inverter and a transformer, the output network further comprising a first capacitance electrically coupled to the transformer, and the output network further comprising at least one impedance adapter element configured to electrically couple the transformer to the plasma load, the impedance adapter being configured to match an output network impedance to a load impedance of the plasma load; and wherein at least one inductance in the output network includes a magnetic field strengthening element that is a Perminvar ferrite. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of providing power to a plasma load from a plasma supply device, the method comprising:
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driving an inverter connected to a DC power supply, by driving at least one switching element so that the inverter converts DC power from the DC power supply into AC power greater than 500 W at an essentially constant basic frequency greater than 3 MHz, and directing the AC power from the inverter to an output network, the output network being electrically coupled to the plasma load, wherein the output network is configured to provide the AC power from the inverter to the plasma load and filter reflected power outside the basic frequency that is returned from the plasma load, the output network comprising first and second inductances electrically coupled between the inverter and a transformer, the output network further comprising a first capacitance electrically coupled to the transformer, and the output network further comprising at least one impedance adapter element configured to electrically couple the transformer to the plasma load, the impedance adapter being configured to match an output network impedance to a load impedance of the plasma load, wherein the output network includes at least one inductance that has a magnetic field strengthening element that is a Perminvar ferrite, and wherein current through the inductance is limited so that magnetic field strength in the Perminvar ferrite is less than 50 percent of the coercive field strength of the Perminvar ferrite. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification