High voltage plasma control
A high voltage pulsing power system is disclosed that include a DC power supply, a switch circuit electrically coupled with the DC power supply, a droop control circuit coupled with the switch circuit, and/or an output. The switch circuit includes a plurality of switch modules and produces a plurality of pulses. The droop control circuit includes a droop diode, a droop inductor, and a droop element. The droop diode may be electrically coupled in series between the switch circuit and the transformer primary that allows the negative pulse portion of the pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the transformer primary. The droop inductor and he droop element may be arranged in series across the droop diode to allow the negative pulse portion of the pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the transformer primary and/or store energy from the negative pulse portion of the pulses.
1. A high voltage pulsing power supply system comprising:
a DC power supply;
a switch circuit electrically coupled with the DC power supply, the switch circuit comprising a plurality of switch modules arranged in a full bridge configuration, the switching circuit produces a plurality of pulses having a positive pulse portion, a negative pulse portion, and an amplitude greater than about 10 kV;
a transformer comprising:
a transformer core;
a primary windings wound around the transformer core; and
a secondary winding wound around the transformer core;
a droop control circuit electrically coupled with the switch circuit and the primary winding, the droop control circuit comprising:
a droop diode electrically coupled in series between the switch circuit and the primary winding that allows the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the primary winding of the transformer; and
a droop inductor and a droop element arranged in series across the droop diode that allows the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the primary winding of the transformer and stores energy from the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses; and
an energy recovery circuit electrically coupled with the droop element and the high voltage power supply and comprising one or more switch modules that open and close to add or remove charge to or from the droop element, wherein the one or more switch modules are arranged in a full bridge or half bridge configuration; and
an output electrically coupled with the secondary winding that outputs the plurality of pulses with a substantially flat negative pulse portion.
2. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the droop element comprises a capacitor or a resistor.
3. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the droop inductor has an inductance between about 1 μH and about 10 mH.
4. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the high voltage pulsing power supply is coupled with a plasma chamber having a plasma, and wherein the output produces an ion energy distribution that is substantially flat for a substantial portion of ion energies and peaked in a narrow band of ion energies.
5. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the energy recovery circuit includes a diode and inductor arranged in series between the droop element and the high voltage power supply.
6. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the energy recovery circuit includes a DC-DC converter.
7. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 1 , further comprising a plasma chamber having one or more electrodes, the one or more electrodes electrically coupled with the output, wherein the plurality of pulses produce an ion energy distribution within the plasma that is substantially flat for a substantial portion of ion energies and peaked in a narrow band of ion energies.
8. A plasma system comprising:
a DC power supply;
a switch circuit electrically coupled with the DC power supply, the switch circuit comprising a plurality of switch modules arranged in a full bridge configuration, the switching circuit produces a plurality of pulses having a positive pulse portion, a negative pulse portion, and an amplitude greater than about 10 kV;
a transformer comprising:
a transformer core;
a primary windings wound around the transformer core; and
a secondary winding wound around the transformer core;
a droop control circuit electrically coupled with the switch circuit and the primary winding, the droop control circuit comprising:
a droop diode electrically coupled in series between the switch circuit and the primary winding that allows the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the primary winding of the transformer; and
a droop inductor and a droop capacitor arranged in series across the droop diode that allows the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the primary winding of the transformer and stores energy from the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses;
an energy recovery circuit electrically coupled with the droop capacitor and the high voltage power supply, the energy recovery circuit comprising one or more switch modules that open and close to add or remove charge to or from the droop capacitor; and
a plasma chamber having one or more electrodes, the one or more electrodes electrically coupled with the secondary winding, wherein the plurality of pulses produce an ion energy distribution within the plasma that is substantially flat for a substantial portion of ion energies and peaked in a narrow band of ion energies.
9. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of pulses comprises a substantially flat negative pulse portion.
10. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 8 , wherein the droop inductor has an inductance between about 1 μH and about 10 mH.
11. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 8 , wherein the energy recovery circuit includes a DC-DC converter.
12. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 8 , wherein the energy recovery circuit includes a transformer between the plurality of switch modules and the DC-DC converter.
13. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 8 , wherein the energy recovery circuit comprises an energy recovery inductor and a diode arranged in series between the high voltage power supply and the one or more switch modules.
14. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more switch modules of the energy recovery circuit are arranged in a full bridge or half bridge configuration.
15. A high voltage pulsing power supply system comprising:
a DC power supply;
a switch circuit electrically coupled with the DC power supply, the switch circuit comprising a plurality of switch modules arranged in a full bridge configuration, the switching circuit produces a plurality of pulses having a positive pulse portion, a negative pulse portion, and an amplitude greater than about 10 kV;
a transformer comprising:
a transformer core;
a primary windings wound around the transformer core; and
a secondary winding wound around the transformer core;
a droop control circuit electrically coupled with the switch circuit and the primary winding, the droop control circuit comprising:
a droop diode electrically coupled in series between the switch circuit and the primary winding that allows the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the primary winding of the transformer; and
a droop inductor and a droop capacitor arranged in series across the droop diode that allows the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses to pass from the switching circuit to the primary winding of the transformer and stores energy from the negative pulse portion of the plurality of pulses;
an energy recovery circuit electrically coupled with the droop capacitor, the energy recovery circuit comprising a plurality of switch modules arranged in a half-bridge or full-bridge arrangement and a DC-DC converter, the plurality of switch modules open and close to add or remove charge to or from the droop capacitor; and
an output electrically coupled with the secondary winding that outputs the plurality of pulses with a substantially flat negative pulse portion.
16. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 15 , further comprising a plasma chamber having one or more electrodes, the one or more electrodes electrically coupled with the output, wherein the plurality of pulses produce an ion energy distribution within the plasma that is substantially flat for a substantial portion of ion energies and peaked in a narrow band of ion energies.
17. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 15 , wherein the droop inductor has an inductance between about 1 μH and about 10 mH.
18. The high voltage pulsing power supply according to claim 15 , wherein the energy recovery circuit comprises an energy recovery inductor and a diode arranged in series between the high voltage power supply and the DC-DC converter.