High-frequency power supply device, and plasma ignition method

• US 9,451,687 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyosan Electric Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kyosan Electric Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohma, Ryosuke, Yuzurihara, Itsuo, Aikawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Jany
• Application Number:
  US14/904,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32146 Amplitude modulation, includes pulsing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32155 Frequency modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32174 Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32183 Matching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/46 using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy H05H1/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/4645 Radiofrequency discharges

Abstract

A high-frequency power supply device is provided with a plasma ignition step that supplies pulse power to ignite plasma, and drive power supply step to supply drive power for maintaining the plasma being generated. In the plasma ignition step, an ignition pulse being applied in an ignition pulse output operation is configured as including a main pulse that induces ignition, and a prepulse with lower power than the power of the main pulse and being applied at a stage prior to the main pulse. Since the ignition pulse is configured as including the main pulse and the prepulse, this enables protection of a high-frequency power source against reflected wave power, as well as reliably igniting the plasma.

Claims

1. A plasma ignition method of a high-frequency power supply device, the method igniting plasma by applying high-frequency power from the high-frequency power supply device, comprising,

a plasma ignition step that ignites the plasma by a pulse output delivered on an intermittent time base, and

a plasma drive power supply step that supplies drive power to maintain the plasma being ignited, after the plasma is ignited by the plasma ignition step, wherein,

the plasma ignition step includes an ignition pulse output operation that outputs an ignition pulse to ignite the plasma,

the ignition pulse includes an optional number of prepulses and a main pulse, each of the prepulses having power lower than the power of the main pulse and delivered at a stage prior to the main pulse, and the main pulse being delivered initially after the prepulses, and

after the plasma is ignited by the plasma ignition step, the plasma ignition step is shifted to the plasma drive power supply step that supplies drive power to maintain the plasma being ignited.

2. The plasma ignition method of the high-frequency power supply device, according to claim 1, wherein,

during a period for performing the ignition pulse output operation, any output interval is set for the prepulses.

3. The plasma ignition method of the high-frequency power supply device, according to claim 1, wherein,

power of the pulse output of the prepulses is set in such a manner that average reflected power generated by the pulse output is equal to or less than allowable loss of power elements that form a high-frequency power source.

4. A high-frequency power supply device configured to ignite plasma by applying high-frequency power, comprising,

a pulse output section configured to deliver a pulse output of high-frequency output, wherein,

the pulse output section comprises,

an ignition pulse former configured to form an ignition pulse that ignites the plasma by the pulse output delivered on an intermittent time base, and

a drive pulse former configured to form a drive pulse that supplies drive power to maintain the plasma being ignited, after the plasma is ignited by the ignition pulse, wherein,

the ignition pulse includes an optional number of prepulses and a main pulse, each of the prepulses having power lower than the power of the main pulse and delivered at a stage prior to the main pulse, and the main pulse being delivered initially after the prepulses, and

after the plasma is ignited by the ignition pulse, the drive pulse former supplies the drive power to maintain the plasma being ignited.

5. The high-frequency power supply device according to claim 4, wherein,

the ignition pulse former sets any output interval for the prepulses in forming the ignition pulse.

6. The high-frequency power supply device according to claim 4, wherein,

the ignition pulse former sets power of the pulse output of the prepulses in such a manner that average reflected power generated by the pulse output is equal to or less than allowable loss of power elements that form a high-frequency power source.