US 12,087,544 B2
Plasma generator, plasma treatment device, and method for providing electric power in a pulsed manner
Sebastian Hubertus Schulz, Blaubeuren (DE); Thomas Pernau, Blaubeuren (DE); Florian Nachbauer, Blaubeuren (DE); and Felix Walk, Blaubeuren (DE)
Assigned to CENTROTHERM INTERNATIONAL AG, Blaubeuren (DE)
Filed by CENTROTHERM INTERNATIONAL AG, Blaubeuren (DE)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/731,774.
Application 17/731,774 is a division of application No. 16/498,728, granted, now 11,355,316, previously published as PCT/EP2018/058193, filed on Mar. 29, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 102017205582.0 (DE), filed on Mar. 31, 2017; and application No. 102018204585.2 (DE), filed on Mar. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0254609 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H05H 1/46 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32146 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32155 (2013.01); H01J 37/32174 (2013.01); H01J 37/32944 (2013.01); H01J 37/3299 (2013.01); H05H 1/46 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plasma generator for the pulsed provision of electrical power having a frequency of at least 40 KHz to at least two process chambers, the plasma generator comprising:
a control unit configured to obtain and evaluate process data about processes in the at least two process chambers;
a controllable power supply having an output, the controllable power supply configured to output a direct current having a predetermined voltage and/or intensity at its output in response to a control signal from the control unit; and
a switching unit having a first input connected to the output of the power supply, and having at least two switching unit outputs for respective connection to one of the at least two process chambers;
wherein the switching unit is configured to form from a direct current at the input an alternating current having a predetermined frequency of at least 40 KHz as an output signal and to selectively output the output signal as a pulse for a predetermined pulse duration to one of the switching unit outputs in response to a control signal from the control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to coordinate power requirements of the at least two process chambers and to drive the power supply and the switching unit such that at the respective switching unit outputs communicating with the process chambers, the power corresponding to the power requirements is provided as pulses over a period of time, wherein the pulses of the respective process chambers are temporally offset from each other such that the process chambers can be operated simultaneously; and
wherein the control unit is configured to shift pulses or portions thereof in time with respect to the power requirements if the power requirements would lead to an overlapping of pulses at different outputs, wherein a respective time shift is selected such that the energy output at the respective outputs essentially corresponds to the power requirement over time.
 
13. A method for the pulsed provision of electrical power having a predetermined frequency of at least 40 KHz to at least two process chambers, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a direct current having a predetermined voltage and/or intensity at an input of a switching unit in response to a control signal from a control unit; and
forming, from the direct current, an alternating current output signal having a predetermined frequency of at least 40 KHz in the switching unit and, in response to a control signal from the control unit, selectively outputting the alternating current output signal as a pulse at one of at least two switching unit outputs of the switching unit, each of which is connected to one of the at least two process chambers;
wherein the control unit generates control signals for providing the direct current and control signals for selectively outputting the alternating current output signal in response to power requirements of the at least two process chambers and in response to process data about processes in the at least two process chambers, wherein the control signals are coordinated such that at the respective switching unit outputs, which are connected to the process chambers, essentially the power corresponding to the power requirements is made available as pulses over time, and the pulses for the process chambers are temporally offset with respect to each other, while the process chambers operated simultaneously,
wherein the control unit changes at least one of the following parameters of a pulse: a position of a pulse in a pulse sequence, a division of a pulse into partial pulses, a pulse duration and an amplitude of a pulse, if actual power requirements would lead to an overlapping of pulses at different outputs.