Harmonic derived arc detector
AssigneeMKS Instruments, Inc.
InventorsJohn Valcore, Jr., Yufeng Han, Jonathan Smyka, Salvatore Polizzo, Aaron T. Radomski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An arc detection system includes a radio frequency (RF) signal probe that senses a RF signal at an input of a RF plasma chamber and that generates a signal based on at least one of the voltage, current, and power of the RF signal. A signal analyzer receives the signal, monitors the signal for frequency components that have a frequency greater than or equal to a fundamental frequency of the RF signal, and generates an output signal based on the frequency components. The output signal indicates that an arc is occurring in the RF plasma chamber.
Claims45
An arc detection system, comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) signal probe that senses a RF signal at an input of a RF plasma chamber and that generates a signal based on at least one of the voltage, current, and power of the RF signal;
- and
- a signal analyzer that receives the signal, monitors the signal for frequency components at at least one harmonic frequency of a fundamental frequency of the RF signal, and that generates an output signal based on the frequency components wherein the output signal indicates that an arc is occurring in the RF plasma chamber.
An arc detection system, comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) signal probe that senses a RF signal at an input of a RF plasma chamber and that generates a signal based on at least one of the voltage, current, and power of the RF signal;
- an analog to digital converter that converts the signal to a digital signal;
- and
- a signal analyzer that receives the digital signal, monitors the digital signal for frequency components of the RF signal at at least one harmonic frequency, ignoring frequencies intermediate to fundamental and harmonic frequencies of the RF signal, and that generates an output signal based on the frequency components wherein the output signal indicates that an arc is occurring in the RF plasma chamber.
A method of detecting an arc in a RF plasma processing system, comprising:
- sensing a RF signal at an input of a RF plasma chamber;
- generating a signal based on at least one of the voltage, current, and power of the RF signal;
- monitoring the signal for frequency components substantially at a harmonic frequency of a selected fundamental frequency within the RF signal;
- and
- generating an output signal based on the frequency components wherein the output signal indicates that an arc is occurring in the RF plasma chamber.
A method of detecting an arc in a RF plasma processing system, comprising:
- sensing a RF signal at an input of a RF plasma chamber;
- generating a signal based on at least one of the voltage, current, and power of the RF signal;
- converting the signal to a digital signal;
- monitoring the digital signal for frequency components of the RF signal at a harmonic frequency of a fundamental frequency of the RF signal;
- and
- generating an output signal based on the frequency components wherein the output signal indicates that an arc is occurring in the RF plasma chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.