Method and Device for Detecting Arcs
AssigneeHUETTINGER Elektronik GmbH + Co. KG
InventorsSven Axenbeck, Markus Bannwarth, Martin Steuber, Peter Wiedemuth, Lothar Wolf
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Abstract
An arc detection means for detecting arcs in a plasma process includes at least one comparator to which an evaluation signal such as an output signal or an internal signal of an AC generator relating to the output signal and a reference value are supplied. The comparator is connected to a logic component that generates a signal for an arc suppression device.
Claims31
A method for detecting an arc in a plasma process that is fed by an output signal of an AC generator, the method comprising:
- determining a first time at which an evaluation signal passes a reference value in a first half-wave of the evaluation signal,
- determining a first time interval using the first time,
- determining a second time at which the evaluation signal passes the reference value in a second half-wave of the evaluation signal and determining a second time interval using the second time,
- comparing the mutually corresponding first and second time interval, and
- generating an arc detection signal if the mutually corresponding first and second time intervals differ from each other by more than a predeterminable tolerance.
A method for detecting an arc in a plasma process that is fed by an output signal of an AC generator, the method comprising:
- determining a first set of times at which an evaluation signal passes reference values in a first half-wave of the evaluation signal,
- determining a subsequent first set of times at which the evaluation signal passes the reference values in the first half-wave of the evaluation signal,
- determining first time intervals based on the first set of times and the subsequent first set of times,
- determining a second set of times at which the evaluation signal passes the reference values in a second half-wave of the evaluation signal,
- determining a subsequent second set of times at which the evaluation signal passes the reference values in the second half-wave of the evaluation signal,
- determining second time intervals based on the second set of times and the subsequent set of times,
- comparing the corresponding first and second time intervals, and
- generating an arc detection signal if any of the corresponding first and second time intervals differ from each other by more than a predeterminable tolerance T.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.