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US 6,724,148 B1Granted
Mechanism for minimizing ion bombardment energy in a plasma chamber
AssigneeAdvanced Energy Industries, Inc.
InventorsJuan Jose Gonzalez, Andrew Shabalin, Fernando Gustavo Tomasel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to one embodiment, an apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a metal vacuum chamber with two or more dielectric breaks. It also includes a number of excitation transformers located so as to distribute the total induced voltage in the chamber among the dielectric breaks. Distributing the total induced voltage among the breaks results in lower wall damage and, consequently, longer lifetimes for the plasma chambers.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- a metal vacuum chamber;
- a first dielectric component forming a first break in the chamber;
- a first electrical transformer coupled to the chamber next to the first break in the chamber to induce an electromagnetic field within the vacuum chamber;
- a second dielectric component forming a second break in the chamber;
- and
- a second transformer coupled to the chamber next to the second break to induce an electromagnetic field within the vacuum chamber;
- the first and second transformers configured such that a voltage applied to the vacuum chamber is divided between the first and second breaks in the chamber.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a metal vacuum chamber;
- a first dielectric component forming a first break in the chamber;
- a second dielectric component forming a second break in the chamber;
- a first electrical transformer coupled to the chamber next to the first and second breaks in the chamber to induce an electromagnetic field within the vacuum chamber;
- a third dielectric component forming a third break in the chamber;
- and
- a fourth dielectric component forming a fourth break in the chamber;
- a second transformer coupled to the chamber next to the third and fourth breaks in the chamber to induce an electromagnetic field within the vacuum chamber;
- the first and second transformers configured such that a voltage applied to the vacuum chamber is divided between the first, second, third and fourth breaks in the chamber.
6 more elements
A plasma chamber comprising:
- a plasma source;
- a first dielectric component forming a first break in the chamber next to a first transformer;
- and
- a second dielectric component forming a second break in the chamber next to a second transformer, wherein a voltage applied to the chamber by the first and second transformers is divided between the first and second breaks in the chamber.
1 more element
A plasma chamber comprising:
- a plasma source;
- a first dielectric component forming a first break in the chamber next to a first transformer;
- a second dielectric component forming a second break in the chamber next to the first transformer;
- a third dielectric component forming a third break in the chamber next to a second transformer, and
- a fourth dielectric component forming a fourth break in the chamber next to the second transformer;
- wherein a voltage applied to the chamber by the first and second transformers is divided between the first, second third and fourth breaks in the chamber.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber;
- a first electrical transformer coupled to the chamber to induce an electromagnetic field within the vacuum chamber;
- and
- a second transformer coupled to the chamber to induce an electromagnetic field within the vacuum chamber;
- the first and second electrical transformers each having:
- a primary winding;
- a plasma loop within the chamber that performs as a secondary winding;
- wherein primary windings of the first and second transformers are coupled in parallel, and the secondary windings of the first and second transformers are coupled in series.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.