Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for stabilizing switch-mode powered RF plasma processing

US5747935A · kind A · utility

52Cited by
9References
49Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 14, 1994
Grant dateMay 5, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 14, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02M7/537
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Circuitry and techniques designed to allow stable and continuous delivery of alternating power to a processing plasma with switch-mode power supply (16) include a variety of embodiments. Parallel, series, and other circuit elements connected across switching element (7) are tuned so that energy at other than the fundamental frequency is absorbed and dissipated. This energy may be only at the second harmonic or it may be across broad frequency ranges through selecting high impedance at the fundamental frequency and relatively low impedance at other frequencies. In overcoming instabilities, oscillations, and even changing class of operation of the switch-mode power supply, the stabilizing element absorbs the energy to avoid allowing it to affect switch (7) of power supply (16).

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