IP Library Granted Patent US 9,729,122
Granted Patent B2
US 9,729,122 · App. 15/384,904 · Granted Aug 8, 2017

Switching circuit

Inventor: Anton Mavretic (Natick, MA)
H03H7/40H01J37/32082H01L21/02274H01L21/31116H01L27/0605H01L28/20H01L28/40H01L29/2003H01L29/7787H01L29/861H02M3/33569H03K17/687H01J2237/334
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,729,122
App. No.
15/384,904
Granted
Aug 8, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, a switching circuit includes a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; and a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; wherein a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch is operably coupled to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch.

Claims (68)

1. A switching circuit comprising:

a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; and

a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

wherein a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch is operably coupled to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch.

2. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein:

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the first terminal; and

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the second terminal.

3. The switching circuit of claim 2 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain.

4. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise two transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise two transistors.

5. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise three transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise three transistors.

6. The switching circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the transistors of the first switch and the second switch have a corresponding resistor operably coupled in parallel to the corresponding diode.

7. The switching circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a monitoring circuit configured to:

receive an indication that a switching circuit voltage exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reduce a power provided to the driving switch; or

receive an indication that a switching circuit current exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reduce a power provided to the driving switch.

8. The switching circuit of claim 7 wherein:

the indication that the switching circuit voltage has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a voltage sensing circuit, the voltage sensing circuit comprising (a) a first transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a first diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit; and

the indication that the switching circuit current has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a current sensing circuit, the current sensing circuit comprising (a) a second transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a second diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit.

9. A method of switching a circuit, the method comprising:

providing a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

providing a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

operably coupling a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch;

driving the first and second switches simultaneously ON; and

driving the first and second switches simultaneously OFF.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the first terminal; and

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the second terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise two transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise two transistors.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise three transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise three transistors.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein each of the transistors of the first switch and the second switch have a corresponding resistor operably coupled in parallel to the corresponding diode.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving an indication that a switching circuit voltage exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reducing a power provided to the driving switch; or

receiving an indication that a switching circuit current exceeds a predetermined amount and, in response, reducing a power provided to the driving switch.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the indication that the switching circuit voltage has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a voltage sensing circuit, the voltage sensing circuit comprising (a) a first transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a first diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit; and

the indication that the switching circuit current has exceeded a predetermined amount is provided by a current sensing circuit, the current sensing circuit comprising (a) a second transformer operably coupled to the second terminal and (b) a second diode operably coupled to the monitoring circuit.

17. A method of fabricating a semiconductor, the method comprising:

placing a substrate in a plasma chamber configured to deposit a material layer onto the substrate or etch a material layer from the substrate;

energizing plasma within the plasma chamber by coupling RF power from an RF source into the plasma chamber to perform a deposition or etching; and

while energizing the plasma, carrying out an impedance match by an impedance matching network coupled between a load and an RF source, wherein the impedance matching network comprises:

a first variable component providing a first variable capacitance or inductance; and

a second variable component providing a second variable capacitance or inductance; and

wherein each of the first variable component and the second variable component has a plurality of switching circuits configured to provide the first variable capacitance or inductance and the second variable capacitance or inductance, respectively, each of the plurality of switching circuits comprising:

a first switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a first terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode; and

a second switch comprising one or more transistors operably coupled in series with a second terminal, wherein each of the one or more transistors has a corresponding diode, a drain of each of the one or more transistors being operably coupled to a cathode of the corresponding diode;

wherein a source of the one or more transistors of the first switch is operably coupled to a source of the one or more transistors of the second switch.

18. The switching circuit of claim 17 wherein:

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the first terminal; and

a drain of the one or more transistors is operably coupled to the second terminal.

19. The switching circuit of claim 18 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise a plurality of transistors coupled source-to-drain.

20. The switching circuit of claim 17 wherein:

the one or more transistors of the first switch comprise two transistors; and

the one or more transistors of the second switch comprise two transistors.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2023
From: RENO SUB-SYSTEMS, INC.
To: ASM AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 065217/0896 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2023
From: RENO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: RENO SUB-SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065091/0846 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2016
From: MAVRETIC, ANTON
To: RENO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 040689/0993 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 15046585 · Feb 18, 2016
Continuation In Part 14734053 · Jun 9, 2015
Provisional Application 62118552 · Feb 20, 2015
Provisional Application 62117728 · Feb 18, 2015
Related Publication 20170104469A1 · Apr 13, 2017