Switching circuit

• US 9,729,122 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM America Incorporated (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: Reno Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Mavretic, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, AN T
• Application Number:
  US15/384,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: 333262, 327374, 327375, 327383-384
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31116 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/20 Resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/40 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33569 having several active switching elements H02M3/3353 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/102 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/691 using transformer coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/7955 using phototransistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/6875 using self-conductive, depletion FETs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

In one embodiment, a switching circuit includes a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; and a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; wherein a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch is operably coupled to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch.

Claims

1. A switching circuit comprising:

a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; and

a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

wherein a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch is operably coupled to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch.

2. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein:

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the first terminal; and

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the second terminal.

3. The switching circuit of claim 2 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain.

4. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise two transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise two transistors.

5. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise three transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise three transistors.

6. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the transistors of the first switch and the second switch have a corresponding resistor operably coupled in parallel to the corresponding diode.

7. The switching circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a monitoring circuit configured to;

receive an indication that a switching circuit voltage exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reduce a power provided to the driving switch;

or

receive an indication that a switching circuit current exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reduce a power provided to the driving switch.

8. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein:

the indication that the switching circuit voltage has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a voltage sensing circuit, the voltage sensing circuit comprising (a) a first transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a first diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit; and

the indication that the switching circuit current has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a current sensing circuit, the current sensing circuit comprising (a) a second transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a second diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit.

9. A method of switching a circuit, the method comprising:

providing a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

providing a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

operably coupling a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch;

driving the first and second switches simultaneously ON; and

driving the first and second switches simultaneously OFF.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the first terminal; and

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the second terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise two transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise two transistors.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise three transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise three transistors.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein each of the transistors of the first switch and the second switch have a corresponding resistor operably coupled in parallel to the corresponding diode.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving an indication that a switching circuit voltage exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reducing a power provided to the driving switch;

or

receiving an indication that a switching circuit current exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reducing a power provided to the driving switch.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the indication that the switching circuit voltage has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a voltage sensing circuit, the voltage sensing circuit comprising (a) a first transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a first diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit; and

the indication that the switching circuit current has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a current sensing circuit, the current sensing circuit comprising (a) a second transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a second diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit.

17. A method of fabricating a semiconductor, the method comprising:

placing a substrate in a plasma chamber configured to deposit a material layer onto the substrate or etch a material layer from the substrate;

energizing plasma within the plasma chamber by coupling RF power from an RF source into the plasma chamber to perform a deposition or etching; and

while energizing the plasma, carrying out an impedance match by an impedance matching network coupled between a load and an RF source, wherein the impedance matching network comprises;

a first variable component providing a first variable capacitance or inductance; and

a second variable component providing a second variable capacitance or inductance; and

wherein each of the first variable component and the second variable component has a plurality of switching circuits configured to provide the first variable capacitance or inductance and the second variable capacitance or inductance, respectively, each of the plurality of switching circuits comprising;

a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; and

a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

wherein a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch is operably coupled to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch.

18. The switching circuit of claim 17 wherein:

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the first terminal; and

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the second terminal.

19. The switching circuit of claim 18 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain.

20. The switching circuit of claim 17 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise two transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise two transistors.