# US 2014/0197761 A1 · Facility for microwave treatment of a load

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- Number: US 2014/0197761 A1
- Document ID: US20140197761A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/114,422
- Filed: 2012-04-25
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-27
- Assignees: Sairem Societe Pour L'application Industrielle De La Recherche En Electronique Et Micro Ondes
- Inventors: Adrien Grandemenge; Jean-Marie Jacomino; Marilena Radoiu; Louis Latrasse
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197761A1

## CPC

- H05B 6/6447: {Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors}
- H01J 37/32009: {Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources (plasma generation in general H05H1/24)}
- H01J 37/32192: {Microwave generated discharge (H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence)}
- H01J 37/32201: {Generating means}
- H01J 37/32229: {Waveguides}
- H01J 37/32266: {Means for controlling power transmitted to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32302: {Plural frequencies}
- H01J 37/32311: {Circuits specially adapted for controlling the microwave discharge}
- H01J 37/32678: {Electron cyclotron resonance}
- H05B 6/664: {Aspects related to the power supply of the microwave heating apparatus}
- H05B 6/74: Mode transformers or mode stirrers
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a facility (1) for microwave treatment of a load, including: at least one application device (30); at least one solid-state generator (4) in the field of microwaves, connected to at least one application device by a means for guiding (5) the electromagnetic wave; at least one frequency adjustment system (40) designed for adjusting the frequency of the wave produced by the corresponding generator (4); a measurement system (31) for the or each application device (30), designed for measuring the power reflected PR(i) by the application device (30); an automated control means (6) connected to each frequency adjustment system (40) and to each measurement system (31) in order to control the adjustment of the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave according to the reflected power, in order to adjust the reflected power PR(i) and/or to adjust the transmitted power PT(i).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A facility for microwave treatment of a load, comprising:
at least one application device for applying an electromagnetic wave in the microwave range;
at least one electromagnetic wave generator in the microwave range of the solid-state generator type, connected to at least one application device by means for guiding the electromagnetic wave;
a frequency adjustment system for the or each generator, designed to adjust the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the corresponding generator;
a measurement system for the or each application device, designed to measure the power reflected PR(i) by the corresponding application device; and
automated control means connected to the or each frequency adjustment system and designed to control the adjustment of the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave by the or each frequency adjustment system and connected, on the other hand, to the or each measurement system in order to:
e1) receive, as input and in real-time, the reflected power measurement PR(i) from the or each measurement system; and
e2) command the or each frequency adjustment system to vary the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the or each generator, until at least one of the following conditions is met:
a) the reflected power PR(i) measured by the or each measurement system substantially reaches a first reference value VR(i); or
b) the power transmitted PT(i) by the or each application device substantially reaches a second reference value VT(i), the transmitted power PT(i) corresponding to the difference between the incident power PIN(i) transmitted to the corresponding application device and the reflected power PR(i) measured on that same application device, or the following relationship:
PT(i)=PIN(i)−PR(i).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, wherein the or each frequency adjustment system is designed to adjust the frequency of the electromagnetic wave in a frequency range chosen in the microwave range, for example in a frequency range comprised between approximately 2400 and 2500 MHz.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, comprising at least two generators each associated with the frequency adjustment system and at least two application devices, each generator being connected to at least one application device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, comprising N generators each associated with a frequency adjustment system, and N application devices, where N is an integer greater than 2, each generator being connected to a single application device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, wherein the first reference value VR(i) corresponds, for the or each application device, to a minimum of the reflected power PR(i) measured equal or close to zero and corresponding to a predetermined threshold reflected power, so as to perform impedance matching on the or each application device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, where the facility comprises several application devices, wherein the second reference value VT(i) corresponds, for each application device, to a predetermined set point VCT that is identical for each of the application devices.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, where the facility comprises several application devices, in which the second reference values VT(i) are not all identical.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, where the facility comprises several application devices, wherein the control means are connected to the or each generator so as to receive, as input, the value of the incident power PIN(i) associated with each application device, and the control means are designed to meet condition b) by carrying out the following sub-steps during the monitoring step e2):
e3) calculating, for each application device, a set point VCR(i) of the reflected power PR(i) corresponding to a power transmitted PT(i) by the application device equal to the second reference value VT(i), i.e. VCR(i)=PIN(i)−VT(i);
e4) monitoring, for each application device, the frequency adjustment system in question to vary the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the associated generator, so as to subject the reflected power PR(i) to said set point VCR(i).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, wherein the control means control the or each generator in terms of power so that the or each generator delivers a given incident power PIN(i), and the control means are designed to carry out step e2), and meet conditions a) and/or b), by monitoring both the or each frequency adjustment system to vary the associated frequency f(i), and the or each generator to vary the associated incident power PIN(i).

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The facility according to claim 8, wherein the control means are designed, during sub-step e4), to monitor, for the or each application device, both:
the concerned generator so that it delivers an incident power PIN(i) at a given set point VCIN(i), which is variable; and
the concerned frequency adjustment system in order to vary the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the associated generator, so as to make the reflected power PR(i) subject to the set point VCR(i), which satisfies the following relationship:
VCR(i)=VCIN(i)−VT(i).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, where the facility comprises several application devices, the control means are connected to the or each generator in order to receive, as input, the value of the incident power PIN(i) associated with each application device and control the or each generator in terms of power so that the or each generator delivers a given incident power PIN(i), and the control means are designed to meet both conditions a) and b) by carrying out the following sub-steps during the monitoring step e2):
e5) monitoring each frequency adjustment system to vary the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the concerned generator until condition a) is met, such that each reflected power PR(i) is equal to the first corresponding reference value VR(i);
e6) calculating, for each application device, a set point VCIN(i) of the incident power PIN(i) corresponding to a transmitted power PT(i) by the application device equal to the second reference value VT(i), i.e., VCIN(i)=VR(i)+VT(i);
e7) controlling the or each generator so that it delivers an incident power PIN(i) at the set point VCIN(i), so as to meet condition b).

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The facility according to claim 11, wherein the control means are designed so as, during the monitoring step e2), to carry out, before the sub-step e5), a sub-step e8) that comprises controlling the or each generator so that it delivers an incident power PIN(i) at a value close or substantially equal to the second reference value VT(i).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The facility according to claim 1, wherein the facility further comprises at least one magnetic structure designed to create a magnetic resonance field which, combined with the electromagnetic wave, makes it possible to produce an electron cyclotron resonance plasma, and the control means are designed to:
f1) calculate a target frequency Cf(i), for the or each frequency adjustment system, corresponding to a predetermined value of an electron cyclotron resonance surface for the or each application device;
f2) monitor, for each elementary source, the frequency adjustment system in question to make the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the or each generator subject to the corresponding set point Cf(i), so that the electron cyclotron resonance surface of the or each application device reaches the corresponding predetermined value.

### Claim 14

A method for the microwave treatment of a load, comprising the following steps:
generating at least one electromagnetic wave in the microwave range using at least one solid-state generator;
guiding the or each electromagnetic wave to at least one application device of the electromagnetic wave;
application by the or each application device of the or each electromagnetic wave on the load;
wherein the method further comprises a step for automated adjustment of the frequency of the or each electromagnetic wave so as to regulate the reflected power PR(i) on the or each application device and/or regulate the transmitted power PT(i) by the or each application device, with the following steps:
p1) measuring, for the or each application device, the reflected power PR(i) by the corresponding application device; and
p2) monitoring the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the or each generator, until at least one of the following conditions is met;
a) the reflected power PR(i) measured on the or each application device substantially reaches a first reference value VR(i); or
b) the transmitted power PT(i) by the or each application device substantially reaches a second reference value VT(i), the transmitted power PT(i) corresponding to the difference between the incident power PIN(i) transmitted to the corresponding application device and the reflected power PR(i) measured on that same application device, i.e., the following relationship:
P(i)=PIN(i)−PR(i).

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the generating step comprises generating at least two electromagnetic waves using at least two generators, the guiding step comprises guiding each electromagnetic wave intended for at least one application device, and the adjustment step comprises adjusting the frequency of each electromagnetic wave independently of one another.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the generating step comprises generating N electromagnetic waves using N generators, the guiding step comprises guiding the N electromagnetic waves intended for N application devices, where N is an integer greater than 2, and the adjusting step comprises regulating the frequency of each electromagnetic wave independently of one another.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the first reference value VR(i) corresponds, for the or each application device, to a minimum of the measured reflected power PR(i), equal or close to zero and corresponding to a predetermined threshold reflected power, so as to perform impedance matching on the or each application device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 with several application devices, wherein the second reference value VT(i) corresponds, for each application device, to a predetermined set point VCT that is identical for each of the elementary sources, so as to favor homogenous heating or the obtainment of a uniform plasma in volume or in surface in a treatment chamber.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 with several application devices, further comprising a step for establishing or measuring the incident power PIN(i) associated with each application device; and wherein the monitoring step p2) meets condition b) by carrying out the following sub-steps:
p3) calculating, for each application device, a set point VCR(i) of the reflected power PR(i) corresponding to a transmitted power PT(i) by the application device equal to the second reference value VT(i), i.e., VCR(i)=PIN(i)−VT(i);
p4) monitoring, for each application device, the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the associated generator, so as to make the reflected power PR(i) subject to said set point VCR(i).

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the monitoring step p2) meets conditions a) and/or b), by monitoring, for each application device, both the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the associated generator and the incident power PIN(i) delivered by that same generator.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19, wherein the sub-step p4) comprises monitoring, for each application device, both:
the incident power PIN(i) delivered by the concerned generator at a given set point VIN(i), which may be variable; and
the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the associated generator, so as to make the reflected power PR(i) subject to the set point VCR(i), which satisfies the following relationship:
VCR(i)=VCIN(i)−VT(i).

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method according to claim 20, with several application devices, wherein the monitoring step p2) meets both conditions a) and b) by carrying out the following sub-steps:
p5) monitoring the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the concerned generator until condition a) is met, such that each reflected power PR(i) is equal to the corresponding first reference value VR(i);
p6) calculating, for each application device, a set point VCIN(i) of the incident power PIN(i) corresponding to a transmitted power PT(i) by the application device equal to the second reference value VT(i), i.e., VCIN(i)=VR(i)+VT(i);
p7) adjusting the incident power PIN(i) delivered by the concerned generator to the set point VCIN(i), so as to meet condition b).

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method according to claim 22, wherein the monitoring step p2) further comprises, before the sub-step p5), a sub-step p8) for adjusting the incident power PIN(i) delivered by the concerned generator to a value close or substantially equal to the second reference value VT(i).

### Claim 24 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the method comprises a step for generating a magnetic resonance field which, combined with the electromagnetic wave, makes it possible to produce an electron cyclotron resonance plasma, and the method further comprises the following steps:
r1) calculating a target frequency Cf(i) corresponding to a predetermined value of the electron cyclotron resonance surface for the or each application device;
r2) making the frequency f(i) of the electromagnetic wave produced by the or each generator subject to the corresponding set point Cf(i), so that the electron cyclotron resonance surface of the or each application device reaches the corresponding predetermined value.