# US 12,183,549 B2 · Apparatus and tuning method for mitigating RF load impedance variations due to periodic disturbances

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- Number: US 12,183,549 B2
- Document ID: US12183549B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/979,129
- Filed: 2022-11-02
- Published: 2023-02-16
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-11-24
- Assignees: MKS Instruments, Inc.
- Applicants: MKS Instruments, Inc.
- Inventors: Aaron Burry; Aaron Radomski; Mariusz Oldziej; Peter Paul; Ross Reinhardt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183549B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32183: {Matching circuits}
- H01J 37/32082: {Radio frequency generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence)}
- H01J 37/32155: {Frequency modulation}
- H01J 37/32174: {Circuits specially adapted for controlling the RF discharge}
- H01J 37/32926: {Software, data control or modelling}
- H01J 37/32935: {Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge}
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) power generation system includes a RF power source that generates a RF output signal delivered to a load. A RF power controller is configured to generate a control signal to vary the RF output signal. The controller adjusts a parameter associated with the RF output signal, and the parameter is controlled in accordance with a trigger signal. The parameter is adjusted in accordance with a cost function, and the cost function is determined by intruding a perturbation into an actuator that affects the cost function. The actuator may control an external RF output signal, and the trigger signal may vary in accordance with the external RF output signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A controller for a radio frequency generator comprising:
a RF power controller coupled to a RF power source, the RF power controller configured to generate a control signal to vary an RF output signal from the RF power source, the RF power controller configured to adjust at least one parameter that determines a characteristic of the RF output signal in response to a synchronization signal,
wherein the parameter is perturbed in accordance with a hopping pattern, and the parameter is adjusted in accordance with one of minimizing or maximizing a cost function responsive to perturbation of the at least one parameter by the hopping pattern, and
wherein the hopping pattern may be adjusted by applying one of an offset or a scaling factor to the hopping pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the RF output signal comprises multiple bins, and wherein the hopping pattern determines the perturbation of the at least one parameter for a plurality of bins of the multiple bins.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein varying the hopping pattern correspondingly varies the perturbation the plurality of bins.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The controller of claim 3, wherein each bin has a width and the width of a selected bin may be the same as or different than a width of an other bin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the parameter is perturbed in accordance with the hopping pattern and a second pattern orthogonal to the hopping pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the RF power controller adjusts the parameter in accordance with the synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal indicates a relative position of an external RF output signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein:
the parameter is one of a frequency or a frequency offset and includes a plurality of frequencies that the RF power controller introduces to the RF output signal in a predetermined order and timing in accordance with the synchronization signal, or
the parameter one of a reactance or a reactance offset and includes a plurality of reactances controlled by the RF power controller in a predetermined order and timing in accordance with the synchronization signal, wherein the reactance is at least one of a capacitance or an inductance.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the offset is adjusted by perturbing the offset to determine an effect on a cost function, generating a composite gradient in accordance with the cost function, and adjusting the respective offset in accordance with the one of minimizing or maximizing the cost function.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The controller of claim 8, wherein the scaling factor is adjusted by perturbing a present scaling factor to determine an effect on a cost function, generating a composite gradient in accordance with the cost function, and adjusting the scaling factor in accordance with the one of minimizing or maximizing the cost function.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the scaling factor is adjusted by perturbing a present scaling factor to determine an effect on a cost function, generating a composite gradient in accordance with the cost function, and adjusting the scaling factor in accordance with the one of minimizing or maximizing the cost function.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein hopping pattern may be adjusted by applying the offset, an initial hopping pattern orthogonal to the offset, and additional basis vectors, wherein the additional basis vectors are orthogonal to the offset, to the initial hopping pattern, and to each other.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The controller of claim 11, wherein the additional basis vectors may be predetermined or may be generated dynamically as a data dependent basis set.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The controller of claim 1, wherein the offset is a DC offset.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
controlling a first RF power source to output a first RF output signal to a load; and
generating a control signal to vary an RF output signal from the RF power source to adjust at least one parameter that determines a characteristic of the RF output signal in response to a synchronization signal,
wherein the parameter is perturbed in accordance with a hopping pattern, and the parameter is adjusted in accordance with one of minimizing or maximizing a cost function responsive to perturbation of the at least one parameter by the hopping pattern, and
wherein the hopping pattern may be adjusted by applying one of an offset or a scaling factor to the hopping pattern.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the RF output signal comprises a plurality of bins, and wherein the hopping pattern determines the perturbation of the at least one parameter for a plurality of bins of the plurality.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein varying the hopping pattern correspondingly varies the perturbation the plurality of bins.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein each bin has a width and the width of a selected bin may be the same as or different than a width of an other bin.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the parameter is perturbed in accordance with the hopping pattern and a second pattern orthogonal to the hopping pattern.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the RF power controller adjusts the parameter in accordance with the synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal indicates a relative position of an external RF output signal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:
the parameter is one of a frequency or a frequency offset and includes a plurality of frequencies that the RF power controller introduces to the RF output signal in a predetermined order and timing in accordance with the synchronization signal, or
the parameter one of a reactance or a reactance offset and includes a plurality of reactances controlled by the RF power controller in a predetermined order and timing in accordance with the synchronization signal, wherein the reactance is at least one of a capacitance or an inductance.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the offset is adjusted by perturbing the offset to determine an effect on a cost function, generating a composite gradient in accordance with the cost function, and adjusting the respective offset in accordance with the one of minimizing or maximizing the cost function.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the scaling factor is adjusted by perturbing a present scaling factor to determine an effect on a cost function, generating a composite gradient in accordance with the cost function, and adjusting the scaling factor in accordance with the one of minimizing or maximizing the cost function.

### Claim 23 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the scaling factor is adjusted by perturbing a present scaling factor to determine an effect on a cost function, generating a composite gradient in accordance with the cost function, and adjusting the scaling factor in accordance with the one of minimizing or maximizing the cost function.

### Claim 24 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein hopping pattern may be adjusted by applying the offset, an initial hopping pattern orthogonal to the offset, and additional basis vectors, wherein the additional basis vectors are orthogonal to the offset, to the initial hopping pattern, and to each other.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the additional basis vectors may be predetermined or may be generated dynamically as a data dependent basis set.

### Claim 26 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the offset is a DC offset.