Patent · US Active

Monitoring a discharge in a plasma process

US10290477B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
20References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 2016
Grant dateMay 14, 2019
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 22, 2037

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J37/32935
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods of monitoring a discharge in a plasma process are disclosed. The methods include supplying the plasma process with a periodic power supply signal, determining a first signal waveform in a first time interval within a first period of the power supply signal, determining a second signal waveform in a second time interval within a second period of the power supply signal, the second time interval being at a position within the second period corresponding to a position of the first time interval within the first period, comparing the second signal waveform with a reference signal waveform to obtain a first comparison result, determining that the first comparison result corresponds to a given first comparison result, and in response, time-shifting one of the second signal waveform and the reference signal waveform, and comparing the time-shifted signal waveform with the non-time-shifted signal waveform to obtain a second comparison result.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.