# US 12,184,161 B2 · Reduced ripple in switch mode power supply with snubber

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- Number: US 12,184,161 B2
- Document ID: US12184161B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/491,762
- Filed: 2021-10-01
- Published: 2023-04-06
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-01
- Assignees: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
- Applicants: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
- Inventors: Mike Armstrong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184161B2

## CPC

- H02M 1/15: using active elements
- C23C 14/3485: {using pulsed power to the target}
- C23C 14/35: by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)}
- H01J 37/3405: {Magnetron sputtering}
- H01J 37/3467: {Pulsed operation, e.g. HIPIMS}
- H02M 1/0067: {Converter structures employing plural converter units, other than for parallel operation of the units on a single load}
- H02M 1/342: {Active non-dissipative snubbers}
- H02M 1/346: {Passive non-dissipative snubbers}
- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H02M 7/5387: in a bridge configuration
- H02M 7/5395: by pulse-width modulation
- H01J 2237/332: Coating
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for reducing ripple in a pulsed waveform power generation system, often for use providing power to a plasma processing chamber. A snubber can be provided between a DC power supply and a switching circuit. A buck converter can also be provided between the snubber and the switching circuit, where the buck converter takes its input from within the snubber and in particular from between a rectifying and capacitive component of the snubber. In this way, the buck converter can be isolated from the DC power supply via an input inductor on a high-input line from the DC power supply.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pulsed power converter comprising:
a DC voltage input;
a DC output configured for coupling to a plasma load;
a switching circuit configured to turn a DC waveform into a pulsed DC output for provision to the DC output;
a snubber circuit arranged between the DC voltage input and the switching circuit, the snubber circuit comprising:
a rectifying component;
a capacitive component; and
a node between the rectifying component and the capacitive component, wherein
the rectifying component is arranged to pass current for charging the capacitive component from the DC voltage input; and
a buck converter coupled between (1) the node and (2) the switching circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pulsed power converter of claim 1, further comprising a buck switch between the buck converter and the switching circuit, the buck switch configured to bias the plasma load with stored energy from the buck converter during negative pulse cycles.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The pulsed power converter of claim 2, wherein the switching circuit comprises at least three switches, two of these at least three switches providing positive pulse cycles of the DC output, and a third of these at least three switches in combination with the buck switch configured to provide negative pulse cycles of the DC output.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The pulsed power converter of claim 1, wherein the buck converter is coupled to the switching circuit via a buck switch and wherein the buck switch operates at a different frequency than the switching circuit, leading to ripple at the DC voltage input that is mitigated by the buck converter being coupled to the node rather than the DC voltage input.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The pulsed power converter of claim 1, wherein a path to the plasma load includes a single magnetron plasma processing electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The pulsed power converter of claim 1, wherein a voltage drop across the first capacitive component and a second capacitive component in series with the first capacitive component boosts a voltage at the DC output during an initial period of each positive pulse cycle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The pulsed power converter of claim 1, wherein the rectifying component is a diode, or series of diodes, and the capacitive component is a capacitor.

### Claim 8

A power supply comprising:
a constant current power supply;
a buck converter;
a switching circuit configured to provide a pulsed output to a plasma load via a single magnetron; and
a voltage absorbing/boosting circuit coupled between the constant current power supply and the switching circuit and comprising:
a rectifying component;
a first capacitive component; and
a node between the rectifying component and the first capacitive component;
wherein the buck converter is coupled between the node and a buck switch, the buck switch coupled between the buck converter and the switching circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The power supply of claim 8, wherein the voltage absorbing/boosting circuit is coupled to a first switch of the switching circuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The power supply of claim 8, wherein the capacitive component is configured to bias the plasma load during positive pulse cycles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The power supply of claim 8, wherein the buck switch is configured to bias the plasma load with stored energy from the buck converter during negative pulse cycles.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The power supply of claim 11, wherein the switching circuit comprises at least three switches, two of these at least three switches configured to provide positive pulse cycles to the plasma load, and a third of these at least three switches in combination with the buck switch configured to provide the negative pulse cycles to the plasma load.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The power supply of claim 8, wherein the buck converter is coupled to the switching circuit via a buck switch and wherein the buck switch operates at a different frequency than the switching circuit, leading to ripple at the constant current power supply that is mitigated by the buck converter being coupled to the first node rather than an output of the constant current power supply.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The power supply of claim 8, wherein a voltage drop across the first capacitive component and a second capacitive component in series with the first capacitive component boosts a voltage to the plasma load during an initial period of each positive pulse cycle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The power supply of claim 8, wherein the rectifying component is a diode, or series of diodes, and the capacitive component is a capacitor.