Reno Technologies, Inc.

Checkpoint Systems, Inc.

Asm IP Holding B.v.

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Asm America, Inc.

Ronald Anthony Decker

Imran Ahmed Bhutta

Bala Kandampalayam

Michael Gilliam Ulrich

Anton Mavretic

Nimesh Shah

Tomislav Lozic

Tao Wu

Haiming Gu

Ian M Costanzo

Kefeng Zeng

Brennan Bradley

Chingping Huang

Theresa Beizer

Frederick Hauer

Joseph Osselburn

In one embodiment, a system includes an RF source and an RF impedance matching circuit receiving RF power from the RF source. The matching circuit includes at least one variable reactance element, a sensor operably coupled to a component of the matching circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit receives a signal from the sensor indicative of a parameter value. Upon determining the parameter value meets a first predetermined condition, the control circuit transmits a control signal to the RF source causing the RF source to carry out a power control scheme. The power control scheme causes the RF source to reduce or maintain the RF power without turning off the RF power.

Power control for rf impedance matching network

In one embodiment, an impedance matching network includes a variable reactance circuit having fixed reactance components and corresponding switching circuits. Each switching circuit includes a diode and a driver circuit. The driver circuit includes, coupled in series, a biasing current source positioned to provide a bias current to bias the diode, a first switch, a second switch, and a resistor. For each diode of each switching circuit, the control circuit is configured to receive a value related to a voltage drop on the resistor and, based on the value related to the voltage drop, adjust the bias current being provided by the biasing current source.

Switching circuit

In one embodiment, an impedance matching network includes a variable reactance circuit providing a variable capacitance or inductance. The variable reactance circuit includes reactance components and corresponding switching circuits. Each of the switching circuits includes a diode and a driver circuit to switch the diode. The driver circuit includes first and second switches coupled in series. A first driver is coupled to the first switch, a second driver is coupled to the second switch, and a third driver is coupled to the first and second drivers. The third driver provides a first signal to the first driver, and a second signal to the second driver. In providing the signals, the third driver increases and decreases a duration of a dead time between (a) driving the first driver on and the second driver off, or (b) driving the second driver on and the first driver off.

In one embodiment, an RF impedance matching network for a plasma chamber is disclosed. The matching network includes an electronically variable capacitor (EVC) comprising discrete capacitors, each discrete capacitor having a corresponding switching circuit for switching in and out the discrete capacitor to alter a total capacitance of the EVC. Each switching circuit includes a diode operably coupled to the discrete capacitor to cause the switching in and out of the discrete capacitor, and a filter circuit parallel to the diode, the filter comprising a filtering capacitor in series with an inductor.

Filter for impedance matching

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a method for performing diagnostics on a matching network that utilizes an electronically variable capacitor (EVC). According to the method, all the discrete capacitors of the EVC are switched out. At a first node, a parameter associated with a current flowing between a power supply and one or more of the switches of the discrete capacitors is measured. The method then switches in, one at a time, each discrete capacitor of the EVC. Upon the switching in of each discrete capacitor, the method remeasures the parameter at the first node and determines whether a change to the parameter at the first node is within a predetermined range to determine whether the corresponding switch, driver circuit, or filter of the discrete capacitor most recently switch in has failed.

Diagnostics for impedance matching network

In one embodiment, the present disclosure may be directed to an impedance matching network that includes an electronically variable capacitor (EVC). The EVC includes discrete capacitors and corresponding switches, each switch configured to switch in and out one of the discrete capacitors to alter a capacitance of the EVC. The switches are operably coupled to a power supply providing a blocking voltage to the switches. A control circuit determines a blocking voltage value of the power supply. Upon determining the blocking voltage value is at or below a predetermined first level, the control circuit causes a limited altering of the capacitance of the EVC, the limited altering limiting the number or type of discrete capacitors to switch in or out based on the extent to which the blocking voltage value is at or below the first level.

Impedance matching network and method

In one embodiment, the present disclosure may be directed to a matching network coupled to an RF source and a plasma chamber and including an electronically variable capacitor (EVC) and a control circuit. The control circuit receives parameter signals and determines corresponding parameter values. For each parameter value, the control circuit determines whether the parameter value is relevant to the matching activity and whether the parameter value is relevant to a second activity of the matching network. The matching network carries out the matching activity based on the parameter values determined to be relevant to the matching activity, and carries out the second activity based on the parameter values determined to be relevant to the second activity.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a method for impedance matching. The RF source provides at least two repeating, non-zero pulse levels, including a high-priority pulse level and a low-priority pulse level. The matching network comprises at least one EVC, which comprises discrete capacitors configured to switch in and out to provide a plurality of match configurations. Each EVC has a switching limit comprising a predetermined number of switches in or out of the EVC's discrete capacitors in a prior time interval. Upon determining that switching to a new match configuration would cause an EVC to reach the switching limit, the method determines whether the new match configuration is for the low- or high-priority pulse level. If for the low-priority pulse level, the method prevents the switching of the EVC. If for the high-priority pulse level, the method switches the EVC to the new match configuration.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a method for impedance matching including a) positioning a matching network between a radio frequency (RF) source and a plasma chamber; b) determining, from among the plurality of match configurations, a new match configuration to be used when there is an expected pulse level change from a first of the pulse levels to a second of the pulse levels; and c) sending a control signal to alter the at least one EVC to provide the new match configuration. The control signal is sent a predetermined time period before a time for the expected pulse level change, the predetermined time period being substantially similar to a time period for the EVC to switch between two match configurations of the plurality of match configurations.

In one embodiment, an impedance matching network is disclosed that includes a first circuit comprising a first variable component providing a first variable capacitance or inductance, and a second circuit comprising a second variable component providing a second variable capacitance or inductance. Each of the first circuit and the second circuit includes plurality of switching circuits configured to provide the first variable capacitance or inductance and the second variable capacitance or inductance. Each of the plurality of switching circuits includes a diode and a driver circuit configured to switch the diode. The driver circuit includes a first switch, a second switch coupled in series with the first switch, and a filter circuit that is coupled at a first end between the first switch and the second switch, and is operably coupled at a second end to the diode.

A system and device for detecting and/or deactivating a security tag when passing through an electronic article surveillance (EAS) portal. The portal may be oriented by the arrangement of one or more antennas to generate an electromagnetic field at or within the portal to detect and/or deactivate the security tag. The electromagnetic field may detect and/or deactivate a security tag located at any orientation on merchandise as the security tag passes through the portal. The portal may be mounted on a counter at a point-of-sale station in which merchandise having security tags attached thereto are passed through the portal. The portal may also be mounted to a floor in which a shopping cart having merchandise is passed through the portal so that security tags attached to the merchandise in the cart are detected and/or deactivated.

Electronic article surveillance portal

Deactivator

There is provided by this invention an improved rf power control device for plasma applications for optimization of the feedback control voltage in the presence of harmonic and non-harmonic spurious frequencies. In this system, an oscillator and mixer, similar to those normally used in radio receiver applications are placed at the sampled output of the solid state rf signal source used for plasma ignition. The sampled output is mixed to a low frequency and filtered to remove the spurious frequencies that is created in the non-linear plasma. In this way, the feedback power control essentially ignores the spurious frequencies. In this application, the oscillator and mixer do not interfere with other desirable system characteristics and effectively isolate the feedback control voltage from changes in plasma spurious content. This allows rf power to be delivered to the plasma with greater accuracy than would otherwise be possible with conventional power control device and methods.

Growing community of inventors

Turnersville, NJ, United States of America

Ronald Anthony Decker