Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Plasma generator, plasma treatment device, and method for providing electric power in a pulsed manner
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Application No.: US16498728Application Date: 2018-03-29
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Publication No.: US11355316B2Publication Date: 2022-06-07
- Inventor: Sebastian Hubertus Schulz , Thomas Pernau , Florian Nachbauer , Felix Walk
- Applicant: CENTROTHERM INTERNATIONAL AG
- Applicant Address: DE Blaubeuren
- Assignee: CENTROTHERM INTERNATIONAL AG
- Current Assignee: CENTROTHERM INTERNATIONAL AG
- Current Assignee Address: DE Blaubeuren
- Agency: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino LLP
- Priority: DE102017205582.0 20170331,DE102018204585.2 20180326
- International Application: PCT/EP2018/058193 WO 20180329
- International Announcement: WO2018/178289 WO 20181004
- Main IPC: H01J37/32
- IPC: H01J37/32 ; H05H1/46

Abstract:
A plasma generator and a method for the pulsed provision of electrical power having a frequency of at least 40 KHz to at least two process chambers are described. The plasma generator comprises: 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 being configured to output a direct current at 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. 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. 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, substantially 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.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210111001A1 PLASMA GENERATOR, PLASMA TREATMENT DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ELECTRIC POWER IN A PULSED MANNER Public/Granted day:2021-04-15
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