Efficient nanosecond pulser with source and sink capability for plasma control applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11646176-B2
Application number	US-202017033662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

Some embodiments include a high voltage, high frequency switching circuit. In some embodiments, the high voltage, high frequency switching circuit includes a high voltage switching power supply that produces pulses having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz; a transformer having a primary side and secondary side; an output electrically coupled with the secondary side of the transformer; and a primary sink electrically coupled with the primary side of the transformer and in parallel with the high voltage switching power supply, the primary sink comprising at least one resistor that discharges a load coupled with the output,?

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A high voltage, high frequency switching circuit comprising:
a high voltage switching power supply that produces pulses having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz;
a transformer having a primary side and secondary side;
an output electrically coupled with the secondary side of the transformer; and
a primary sink electrically coupled with the primary side of the transformer and electrically coupled with ground, the primary sink comprising at least one resistor that discharges a load coupled with the output;
wherein the load is capacitive in nature with a capacitance less than 50 nF, wherein the load capacitance does not hold charges for times greater than 10 μs.

2. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the primary sink is configured to dissipate over about 1 kilowatt of average power.

3. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the primary sink comprises at least on inductor in series with the at least one resistor.

4. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the primary sink comprises a switch in series with the at least one resistor.

5. He high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the output is coupled with a plasma load that is capacitive.

6. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the output is coupled with a plasma load that includes a dielectric barrier discharge.

7. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the resistance of the resistor in the primary sink has a value less than about 400 ohms.

8. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the high voltage high frequency switching power supply delivers peak powers greater than 100 kW.

9. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the resistor in the primary sink includes a resistance R and the output is coupled with a load having a capacitance C such that

R
≈

t
f

a
2

⁢
C

where t f is the pulse fall time.

10. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the load is capacitive in nature and the high voltage, high frequency switching circuit rapidly charges the load capacitance and discharges the load capacitance.

11. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the output produces a negative bias voltage within a plasma of greater than −2 kV when the high voltage switching power supply is not providing a high voltage pulse.

12. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the output can produce a high voltage pulse having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz with pulse fall times less than about 400 ns.

13. A high voltage, high frequency switching circuit comprising:
a high voltage switching power supply that produces pulses having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz;
a transformer having a primary side and secondary side;
an output electrically coupled with the secondary side of the transformer; and
a primary sink electrically coupled to the primary side of the transformer and electrically coupled with ground the primary sink comprising at least one resistor that discharges a load coupled with the output and at least one inductor in series with the at least one resistors;
wherein the load is capacitive in nature with a capacitance less than 50 nF, wherein the load capacitance does not hold charges for times greater than 10 μs.

14. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the primary sink comprises a switch in series with the at least one resistor and/or the at least one inductor.

15. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the output can produce a high voltage pulse having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz and with a pulse fall time less than about 400 ns.

16. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the primary sink is configured to dissipate over about 1 kilowatt of power.

17. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the high voltage switching power supply comprises a power supply, at least one switch, and a step-up transformer.

18. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the primary sink handles a peak power greater than 10 kW.

19. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the primary sink includes an inductor and a resistor, and wherein the inductance L of the inductor and the resistance R of the resistor are set to satisfy L/R≈tp, where tp is the pulse width of the pulse.

20. The high voltage, high frequency switching circuit according to claim 13 , wherein the resistor in the primary sink includes a resistance R and the output is coupled with a load having a capacitance C such that

R
≈

t
f

a
2

⁢
C

where t f is the pulse fall time.

21. A high voltage, high frequency switching circuit comprising:
a high voltage switching power supply that produces pulses having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz;
a transformer having a primary side and secondary side;
an output electrically coupled with the secondary side of the transformer; and
a primary sink electrically coupled with the primary side of the transformer and electrically coupled with ground, the primary sink comprising at least one resistor that discharges a load coupled with the output, wherein the at least one resistor includes a resistance R and the output is coupled with a load having a capacitance C such that

R
≈

t
f

a
2

⁢
C

where t f is the pulse fall time.

22. A high voltage, high frequency switching circuit comprising:
a high voltage switching power supply that produces pulses having a voltage greater than 1 kV and with frequencies greater than 10 kHz;
a transformer having a primary side and secondary side;
an output electrically coupled with the secondary side of the transformer; and
a primary sink electrically coupled w

Assignees

• Eagle Harbor Tech Inc

Inventors

• Prager James
• Ziemba Timothy
• Miller Kenneth
• Slobodov Ilia

Classifications

• H01J37/32174

  Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge · CPC title

• H03K17/0424

  by the use of a transformer · CPC title

• H03K2217/0027

  Measuring means of, e.g. currents through or voltages across the switch · CPC title

• H01J37/32091 Primary

  the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma · CPC title

• H01J37/32348

  Dielectric barrier discharge · CPC title