Plasma generating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9576775-B2
Application number	US-201414532894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	May 4, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a plasma generation device comprising a plurality of plasma modules for generating a plasma. Each plasma module has a module housing with at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas. Furthermore, a discharge device for generating the plasma from the process gas and a plasma outlet are provided. The plasma generation device has at least two plasma modules for generating a plasma. Each plasma module has at least one gas outlet for some of the process gas, wherein the at least one gas outlet of at least one plasma module issues into a respective gas inlet of another plasma module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plasma generating device for generating a plasma comprising:
at least two plasma modules;
a module housing provided to each plasma module, wherein the plasma module has at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas;
a piezoelectric transformer and a controllable electric driver module are provided in the module housing for generating the plasma from the process gas;
a plasma outlet; and
at least one gas outlet for a portion of the process gas is provided with each plasma module, wherein the at least one gas outlet of at least one plasma module opens in each case into the gas inlet of another plasma module; and the plasma modules are pluggable connected with each other in a form-fit and/or force-fit manner,
wherein a spacing bridge has a connector and the at least one gas inlet and the at least one gas outlet, and the spacing bridge connects at least two successive plasma modules to each other such that the connector of the spacing bridge electrically connects the control modules of the plasma modules, and that at least one gas outlet of one plasma module is in fluid communication with the gas inlet of the spacing bridge and the gas outlet of the spacing bridge is in fluid communication with a gas inlet of a further plasma module, and
wherein the plasma module and the spacing bridge are pluggably connected to each other so that a form-fitting and/or force-fitting connection is produced.

2. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein each plasma module of the plasma generating device has a module housing, at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas, a piezoelectric transformer and a controllable electric driver module in the module housing for generating the plasma from the process gas, a plasma outlet, and at least one gas outlet for a portion of the process gas.

3. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated by the piezoelectric transformer is carried out by discharge at ambient pressure ranges.

4. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein each plasma module comprises:
a control module, each of which has a control line and at least one voltage supply line electrically connected to each electric driver module, wherein the control module carries at least one input interface and at least one output interface and at least two plasma modules are interconnected such that at least one output interface of the control module of each first plasma module forms at least an input interface of the control module of an electrically connected second plasma module, so that the connected control lines of the control modules of the coupled plasma modules from a common control bus.

5. The plasma generating device according to claim 4 , wherein the plasma modules of the plasma generating device are electrically interconnected via their control modules and at least one gas inlet of a plasma module is in fluid communication with a gas outlet of an associated plasma module.

6. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma modules are releasably mounted on a common mounting batten.

7. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma modules and the spacing bridges are releasably mounted on a common mounting batten.

8. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one gas outlet or at least one gas inlet of a plasma module that does not have a gas inlet, a gas outlet to a further plasma module, and a spacing a bridge respectively, is closed with a closure element.

9. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of connected plasma modules are arranged in a one-, two-, or three-dimensional arrangement.

10. The plasma generating device according to claim 1 , wherein all plasma modules of the plasma generating device are surrounded by a common housing.

11. The plasma generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the plasma outlets of the plasma modules in the common housing open out via a common plasma outlet or the common plasma outlet enters into a connected plasma module.

12. The plasma generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the plasma modules in the common housing of the plasma generating device are separated by separating walls, wherein the plasma modules, have at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas, a piezoelectric transformer for generating the plasma from the process gas, a plasma outlet, and at least one gas outlet for a portion of the process gas.

13. The plasma generating device according to claim 12 , wherein the piezoelectric transformer has a controllable electric driver module for generating the plasma discharges in the normal pressure range, which are electrically connected to a piezoelectric transformer.

14. The plasma generating device according to claim 13 , wherein a control module is associated with the common housing and has a control line and at least one voltage supply line, which are electrically connected to the electric driver module, and wherein the control module has formed at least an output interface and at least an input interface.

15. A plasma generating device for generating a plasma comprising:
at least two plasma modules;
a module housing provided to each plasma module, wherein the plasma module has at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas;
a piezoelectric transformer and a controllable electric driver module are provided in the module housing for generating the plasma from the process gas, wherein two voltage supply lines electrically connect an electric driver module with two primary electrodes of the piezoelectric transformer;
a plasma outlet;
at least one gas outlet for a portion of the process gas is provided with each plasma module, wherein the at least one gas outlet of at least one plasma module opens in each case into the gas inlet of another plasma module and the plasma modules are pluggably connected with each other in a form-fit and/or force-fit manner; and
a control module associated with the plasma modules of the plasma generating device, wherein the control module has a control line and at least one voltage supply line, which are electrically connected to a electric driver module of the piezoelectric transformer.

16. The plasma generating device according to claim 15 , wherein the control module has formed at least an output interface and at least an input interface.

17. A plasma generating device for generating a plasma comprising:
at least two plasma modules;
a common housing which houses the plasma modules, wherein each plasma module has at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas, a discharge means for generating the plasma from the process gas, a plasma outlet and at least one gas outlet for a portion of the process gas, wherein the at least one gas outlet of the at least one plasma module opens in each case into the gas inlet of another plasma module;
a common gas supply which is formed by the common housing and by which the process gas is directed into the common housing; and
separating walls which are provided inside the common housing to separate the plasma modules, wherein the separating walls define an upper section and a lower section, and the gas outlet and the gas inlet are provided at the upper section of the separating walls and plasma outlets are provided at the lower sections of the separating walls.

18. The plasma generating device according to claim 17 , wherein the plasma outlets of the plasma modules in the common housing open out via a common plasma outlet

Assignees

• Relyon Plasma Gmbh
• Epcos Ag
• reylon plasma GmbH

Inventors

• Nettesheim Stefan
• Kuegerl Georg
• Puff Markus

Classifications

• H01J37/32899

  Multiple chambers, e.g. cluster tools · CPC title

• H05H1/44

  using more than one torch · CPC title

• H01J37/32449 Primary

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title

• H05H1/36

  Circuit arrangements (H05H1/38, H05H1/40 take precedence) · CPC title