Variable Inductor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a variable inductor used in electronic circuits and power circuits, wherein the total composite inductance can be easily changed by adjusting the mutual inductance between coil winding sections by adjusting the opening amount of an aperture interposed between coil winding sections while the coil is fixed. The invention is characterized by comprising: a coil including a plurality of coil winding sections each having a self-inductance and a coil connecting section connecting the coil winding sections to each other; and an aperture installed between the coil winding sections and varying the mutual inductance by adjusting the amount of magnetic flux passing between two adjacent coil winding sections through the movement of a blade.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inductor used in electronic circuits and power circuits, and more specifically, to a variable inductor that can easily change the total composite inductance by adjusting the mutual inductance between coil winding sections by adjusting the opening amount of an aperture interposed between coil winding sections while the coil is fixed. Background Technology

[0002] Inductors are passive components in electronic circuits that utilize magnetic fields to store energy or filter signals, and they serve as core components, particularly in high-frequency circuits, wireless communication, and power converters. While inductors are generally designed to have a fixed inductance value, the demand for variable inductors is increasing due to the recent need to actively change inductance according to circuit characteristics.

[0003] For example, in semiconductor and display manufacturing processes, the demand for variable inductors is increasing significantly in plasma-based etching, deposition, and cleaning processes. In plasma processes, the electrical characteristics of the plasma chamber change significantly depending on process conditions, and it is known that fluctuations in load-side impedance are particularly severe. If the load impedance fluctuates rapidly over time, power supplied by the radio frequency power supply is not efficiently transmitted, leading to problems such as increased reflected power, plasma instability, and reduced process uniformity.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, an Impedance Matching Network is used between the high-frequency power supply and the plasma chamber to compensate for dynamic changes in load impedance. The core components of the Impedance Matching Network are variable capacitors and variable inductors that dynamically change impedance. Among these, Vacuum Variable Capacitors (VVCs) are considered to be in a technically mature stage, ensuring stable performance even in high-power plasma processes; however, the development of variable inductors has stagnated due to increased losses and heat generation associated with the physical driving of the coil, as well as limitations in response speed and control precision.

[0005] However, since VVC is a method that controls capacitance, configuring a matching network using only VVC is advantageous for capacitive control but has limitations in compensating for inductive resonance points. Furthermore, as the frequency increases, the parasitic inductance of the capacitor becomes an issue, creating a region where it is difficult to provide sufficient matching changes, and the high-frequency matching range is very limited. Additionally, VVC has the disadvantage of having a relatively slow mechanical adjustment speed compared to the rapid impedance fluctuations of the plasma load.

[0006] Meanwhile, conventional variable inductors adjust inductance by changing the height of the coil winding section through mechanical elasticity or deformation, or by changing magnetic coupling by adjusting the overlap section of the inductor loop. However, varying inductance in this manner requires physical deformation of the coil, which leads to reduced durability and fatigue deformation during repeated operation. Furthermore, it has the disadvantages of a complex coil structure and mechanical operation mechanism, as well as a slow response speed. Prior art literature

[0007] Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2724760 "Variable Inductor Element" Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2826377 "Variable Inductor Device" The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a variable inductor that can easily vary the composite inductance of the entire inductor without applying physical deformation to the coil windings by installing an aperture between the coil windings and adjusting the opening amount of the aperture to control the mutual inductance between the coil windings, and the variation of the inductance is performed quickly and with high precision, and when performing impedance matching for a load with high variability such as a plasma chamber, inductive resonance point compensation is easy and the high-frequency matching range can be greatly expanded and rapid matching can be enabled in response to rapidly changing load fluctuation speeds, thereby improving process stability. means of solving the problem

[0009] A variable inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a coil including a plurality of coil winding sections each having a self-inductance and a coil connecting section connecting the coil winding sections to each other; and an aperture installed between the coil winding sections and varying the mutual inductance by adjusting the amount of magnetic flux passing between two adjacent coil winding sections by the movement of a blade.

[0010] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the aperture is one of an iris aperture, a slide aperture, a barrier aperture, or a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems)-based micro aperture.

[0011] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the aperture is an iris aperture, and a plurality of blades installed in a hollow aperture housing rotate in conjunction while partially overlapping to vary the diameter of a central circular opening.

[0012] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the blade is made of a conductive metal body.

[0013] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the blade is made of a magnetic material.

[0014] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the outermost winding portion of the coil winding portion is wound in the shape of a vertical ring, the coil connecting portion extends in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the outermost winding portion, and the aperture has a coil connecting portion through hole formed therein through which the coil connecting portion passes.

[0015] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that an assembly for fixing the coil and the aperture comprises: a lower fixing member fixedly installed on the upper surface of a substrate having a U-shaped lower mounting surface on which the lower portion of the coil or the aperture is seated; an upper fixing member coupled to the lower fixing member having an inverted U-shaped upper mounting surface on which the upper portion of the coil or the aperture is seated; and a support member coupled to the upper fixing member or the lower fixing member and supporting at least one portion of the upper, lower, or both sides of the coil and the aperture.

[0016] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention further comprises an aperture operation control unit for controlling the movement of the blade, wherein the aperture operation control unit comprises an actuator for operating the blade and a control circuit for controlling the actuator.

[0017] A variable inductor according to another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the control circuit includes a microprocessor, and the microprocessor determines the opening amount of the aperture according to a sensing signal, a feedback signal, or a control command transmitted from the outside, and controls the voltage or current applied to the actuator according to the determined opening amount. Effects of the invention

[0019] According to the variable inductor of the present invention, by installing an aperture between coil winding sections and adjusting the opening amount of the aperture to control the mutual inductance between the coil winding sections, the composite inductance of the entire inductor can be easily varied without applying physical deformation to the coil winding sections, the variation of the inductance is performed quickly and with high precision, and when performing impedance matching for a load with high variability such as a plasma chamber, inductive resonance point compensation is easy and the high-frequency matching range can be greatly expanded and rapid matching can be enabled in response to rapidly changing load fluctuation speeds, thereby improving process stability. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a variable inductor according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the arrangement of the coil winding section and the aperture in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually depicting the operating state of the aperture in the present invention, and Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the change in the amount of magnetic flux passing through according to the opening amount of the aperture in the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] Specific embodiments according to the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0022] Throughout the specification, parts having similar configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals. Additionally, the drawings attached to the present invention are for the convenience of explanation, and their shapes and relative scales may be exaggerated or omitted.

[0023] In specifically describing the embodiments, redundant descriptions or descriptions of techniques obvious in the field have been omitted. Furthermore, when a part is described as "including" other components in the following description, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it may include additional components in addition to the described components.

[0024] Furthermore, terms such as "~part," "~unit," and "~module" as described in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, when it is stated that a part is electrically connected to another part, this includes not only cases where they are directly connected but also cases where they are connected with other components in between.

[0025] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. Such terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the second component may be named the first component, and similarly, the first component may be named the second component.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a variable inductor according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1. First, with reference to FIG. 1 and 2, the basic structure of the variable inductor of the present invention and the assembly form for fixed installation will be described.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the variable inductor of the present invention is basically configured to include a coil (100) and an aperture (200). Additionally, it may further include an assembly structure for fixing the coil (100) and the aperture (200). As illustrated, the assembly structure includes a lower fixing member (300), an upper fixing member (400), an upper support member (500), a lower support member (600), a first side support member (700), and a second side support member (800). Of course, it may have a housing structure different from the example of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0028] The coil (100) typically has a structure in which copper (Cu) wire is wound, and when current flows, it forms a magnetic field to store energy and suppress changes in current. The number of times the copper wire is wound in the coil (100) is referred to as the 'number of turns,' and this number of turns has a direct effect on the formation of the magnetic field and the magnitude of the inductance. Generally, the more turns there are, the stronger the magnetic field generated from the same current becomes, allowing more magnetic energy to be stored and increasing the inductance.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the coil (100) in the present invention is composed of a coil lead portion (110), a coil winding portion (120), and a coil connecting portion (130).

[0030] The coil lead portion (110) is an electrical connection portion that electrically connects the inductor and the external circuit. The coil winding portion (120) is a portion in which a conductive wire is wound at least once to have self-inductance. In the present invention, for the sake of understanding, each coil winding portion (120) is exemplified as having one turn, but each coil winding portion (120) may be wound with a greater number of turns. The coil connection portion (130) is a portion that connects the coil winding portions (120) to one another and extends in a direction orthogonal to the coil winding portion (120) as illustrated in the example. That is, mutual inductance is formed between two coil winding portions (120) connected to one another by the coil connection portion (130).

[0031] The variable inductor of the present invention provides a new structure that varies the mutual inductance between two coil winding sections (120) connected to each other by a coil connection section (130) without applying any physical deformation to the coil (110). According to the present invention, the mutual inductance is varied by using an aperture (200) installed between the coil winding sections (120). The aperture (200) varies the mutual inductance by controlling the amount of magnetic flux passing between the two adjacent coil winding sections (120) through the movement of a blade (220).

[0032] The aperture (200) may be one of an iris aperture, a slide aperture, a barrier aperture, or a micro aperture based on MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). For example, a slide aperture controls the opening amount of a slit by a sliding blade, a barrier aperture controls the opening amount by the blade opening and closing in an 'X' shape, and a micro aperture controls the opening amount by electrostatic force, heat, or mechanical displacement based on MEMS.

[0033] Preferably, in the present invention, the aperture (200) is an iris aperture as illustrated in the example. The aperture (200) varies the diameter of the central circular opening (240) by rotating in conjunction with a link mechanism (e.g., installed within the aperture housing (210)) while a plurality of blades (220) installed in a hollow aperture housing (210) are partially overlapping. The aperture housing (210) is formed of an insulating material, and the rotation mechanism of the blades (200) and the link mechanism are installed in the internal receiving space. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a coil connection through hole (230) through which the aforementioned coil connection part (130) passes is formed on one side of the aperture housing (210).

[0034] By using such an iris aperture, the opening amount of the aperture (240) can be continuously and rapidly adjusted while maintaining a mechanically stable structure. This structure provides high responsiveness and precision, especially in plasma process environments where load impedance fluctuations are large. The process of varying the inductance using the aperture (200) will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an assembly structure for fixing the coil (100) and aperture (200) will be described.

[0036] The lower fixing member (300) is provided with a U-shaped lower mounting surface (310) on which the lower part of the coil (100) or aperture (200) is seated. A plunge with a fixing hole (320) formed on both sides of the lower fixing member (300) protrudes, and the inductor assembly can be installed on the substrate by passing the fixing hole (320) through the upper surface of the substrate and fastening means such as a bolt. On the lower surface of the lower mounting surface (310), a lower support coupling portion (330) is formed to allow the lower support member (600) to be inserted and coupled, and on both upper surfaces, a side support coupling portion (340) and a side support coupling hole (350) are formed to allow the side support members (700, 800) to be coupled and fixed, and an upper fixing member coupling hole (360) is formed for coupling with the upper fixing member (400).

[0037] The upper fixing member (400) is provided with an inverted U-shaped upper mounting surface (410) on which the upper portion of the coil (100) or aperture (200) is seated. An upper support coupling hole (420) for coupling and fixing an upper support (500) is formed on the upper surface of the upper fixing member (400), and a tool insertion groove (430) and a lower fixing member coupling hole (440) are formed on both sides. The upper fixing member (400) is coupled to the lower fixing member (300) by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver into the tool insertion groove (430) and fastening means such as a bolt. The tool insertion groove (430) may be finished with a finishing material such as rubber later.

[0038] Four supports (500, 600, 700, 800) that support the coil (100) and the aperture (200) along the longitudinal direction are each assembled and fixed to the upper, lower, and both sides of the upper fixing member (400) and the lower fixing member (300). On the inner side of the upper support member (500), an upper coil coupling member (510) and an upper aperture coupling member (520) are arranged at a predetermined interval to support the upper part of the coil (100) and the aperture (200) at an appropriate distance. On the inner side of the lower support member (600), a lower coil coupling member (610) and a lower aperture coupling member (620) are arranged at a predetermined interval to support the lower part of the coil (100) and the aperture (200) at an appropriate distance. On the inner side of the first side support (700), a first side coil coupling portion (710) and a first side aperture coupling portion (720) are arranged at a predetermined interval to support one side of the coil (100) and the aperture (200) at an appropriate distance. On the inner side of the second side support (800), a second side coil coupling portion (810) and a second side aperture coupling portion (820) are arranged at a predetermined interval to support the other side of the coil (100) and the aperture (200) at an appropriate distance. Such an assembly structure allows the structural stability of the inductor to be maintained even during repeated rotation of the blade (220).

[0039] FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the arrangement of the coil winding section and the aperture in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a conceptual drawing depicting the operating state of the aperture in the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the change in the amount of magnetic flux passing through according to the opening amount of the aperture in the present invention. With reference to FIG. 3 to 5, the effects of the present invention will be explained in more detail.

[0040] Referring to the side view of FIG. 3, unlike conventional inductor coils which are installed in a spiral shape, the outermost winding portion of the coil winding portion (120) of the variable inductor of the present invention is wound in a vertical ring shape. In the illustrated example, since each coil winding portion (120) has one turn, it is illustrated that all coil winding portions (120) are installed in a vertical ring shape. However, if the coil winding portion (120) has multiple turns, it is acceptable for only the outermost winding portions at both ends to be wound in a vertical ring shape, and for the winding portion located between them to be wound in a diagonal shape.

[0041] The coil connection portion (130) extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the outermost winding portion of the coil winding portion (120). Then, the coil connection portion (130) passes through the coil connection portion through hole (230) formed in the aperture (200) and extends to the next coil winding portion (120).

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a first coil connecting part (130a) extends horizontally from the end of the first coil winding part (120a) and connects to a second coil winding part (120b). A first aperture (200a) is installed between the first coil winding part (120a) and the second coil winding part (120b), and the first coil connecting part (130a) passes through the first coil connecting part through hole (230a) of the first aperture (200a).

[0043] When viewed from the side, the first coil connection part (130a), the second coil connection part (130b), and the third coil connection part (130c) are not arranged on the same axis and have a structure that rises in stages. Also, the first coil connection part through hole (230a) of the first aperture (200a), the second coil connection part through hole (230b) of the second aperture (200b), and the third coil connection part through hole (230c) of the third aperture (200c) are also formed at different positions on the aperture housing (210). However, this structure allows the inductance to be varied by operating the blade (220) of the aperture (200) without applying any physical deformation to the coil winding part (120) while the coil winding part (120) is fixed at a uniform interval. In addition, the aperture (200) can be installed vertically in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface, making it structurally stable.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, an aperture operation control unit (900) that controls the operation of a blade (220) may be configured to include an actuator (e.g., a stepping motor) that operates the blade (220) and a control circuit that controls the actuator. The control circuit includes a dedicated microprocessor, and the microprocessor determines the opening amount of the aperture (200) according to a sensing signal, feedback signal, or control command transmitted from the outside, and can control the voltage or current applied to the actuator according to the determined opening amount.

[0045] Now, referring to FIG. 5, the process of varying the inductance using the variable inductor of the present invention will be explained. Let us assume a case where the variable inductor of the present invention is composed of two coil winding sections (120) and one aperture (200). First, when the two coil winding sections (120) are connected in series in the same direction, the equivalent inductance is defined by the following (Equation 1).

[0046] (Formula 1)

[0047] Here, is the equivalent inductance of the two coil windings, and is the inductance of the first coil winding section, and is the inductance of the second coil winding section, and is the mutual inductance between the two coil windings.

[0048] At this time, mutual inductance ( ) can be defined by the following (Equation 2).

[0049] , (Equation 2)

[0050] Here, is the coupling coefficient, and ' If so, the two coils are completely coupled. This means that the two coils are independent of each other.

[0051] In (Equation 2), the joint coefficient ( ) is determined by the spatial position of the two coil winding sections (120), the core material, and the magnetic circuit path. If the two coil winding sections (120) are composed of the same shape and material, the magnetic path changes due to the opening and closing operation of the iris of the aperture (200) in the present invention. The variable inductor of the present invention controls the amount of magnetic flux passing between the two coil winding sections (120) according to the opening amount of the aperture, thereby the composite inductance ( It becomes possible to vary )

[0052] Here, the adjustment range and amount of mutual inductance may vary depending on the material of the blade (200) of the aperture (200). If the blade (200) is made of a conductive metal such as copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al), mutual inductance can be adjusted by inducing eddy currents as the blade (200) rotates, thereby deforming the magnetic flux path. If the blade (200) is made of a magnetic material such as iron (Fe) or nickel-iron (Ni-Fe) alloy, a larger range of magnetic flux change occurs as the blade (200) rotates, allowing for a wider range of mutual inductance adjustment. Of course, the blade (200) may be formed of a different material, and may be designed to allow for finer mutual inductance adjustment by changing the amount of magnetic flux passing through simply by adjusting the aperture size.

[0053] Based on the structural advantages described above, the variable inductor of the present invention can be applied to various fields. For example, it can be applied to an impedance matching network installed between a high-frequency power supply and a plasma chamber to rapidly respond to fluctuations in inductive loads and vary the impedance. Additionally, it can be used in conjunction with a vacuum variable capacitor (VVC) to extend the high-frequency matching range. As another example, it can be used to adjust the frequency of a resonant circuit in real time in a wireless communication system, or to improve efficiency in a power converter by dynamically adjusting the inductance according to current and voltage characteristics.

[0054] One of the most significant features of the variable inductor of the present invention is its excellent durability, as it changes mutual inductance solely through blade rotation without applying physical deformation to the coil. Furthermore, the composite inductance can be controlled in real time by adjusting the aperture size, allowing for rapid response to sudden load changes. The housing and support structure mentioned in this invention ensures stable fixation of the coil and aperture, and secures structural reliability even under repetitive operation. Additionally, since various mutual inductance ranges can be realized depending on the selection of blade material and rotation angle, there is an advantage in that the high-frequency matching range can be expanded and inductive resonance point compensation is facilitated.

[0055] Various modifications are possible for the invention disclosed above within the scope that does not impair the basic concept. That is, all of the above embodiments should be interpreted as illustrative and not restrictively. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined according to the appended claims rather than the embodiments described above, and if a component limited in the appended claims is substituted with an equivalent, it should be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0056] 100 : Coil 110 : Coil lead 120: Coil winding section 130: Coil connecting section 200 : Aperture 210 : Aperture housing 220 : Blade 230 : Coil connection through hole 240: Opening 300: Lower fixing device 310: Lower seating surface 320: Fixing hole 330: Lower support connection point 340: Side support connection point 350: Side support connection hole 360: Upper fixing member connection hole 400: Upper fixing bracket 410: Upper seating surface 420: Upper support coupling hole 430: Tool insertion groove 440 : Lower fixing member connection hole 500 : Upper support 510: Upper coil coupling part 520: Upper aperture coupling part 600: Lower support 610: Lower coil coupling part 620: Lower aperture coupling part 700: First side support 710: First side coil coupling part 720: First side aperture coupling part 800: Second side support 810: Second side coil coupling part 820: Second side aperture coupling part 900: Aperture operation control part

Claims

Claim 1 A variable inductor comprising: a coil including a plurality of coil winding sections each having self-inductance and a coil connecting section connecting the coil winding sections to each other; and an aperture installed between the coil winding sections and varying mutual inductance by adjusting the amount of magnetic flux passing between two adjacent coil winding sections by the movement of a blade, wherein the aperture is one of an iris aperture, a slide aperture, a barrier aperture, or a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems)-based micro aperture. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A variable inductor according to claim 1, wherein the aperture is an iris aperture, and a plurality of blades installed in a hollow aperture housing rotate in conjunction while partially overlapping to vary the diameter of the central circular opening. Claim 4 A variable inductor according to claim 1, characterized in that the blade is made of a conductive metal body. Claim 5 A variable inductor according to claim 1, characterized in that the blade is made of a magnetic material. Claim 6 A variable inductor according to claim 1, wherein the outermost winding portion of the coil winding portion is wound in the shape of a vertical ring, the coil connecting portion extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the outermost winding portion, and the aperture has a coil connecting portion through hole formed therein through which the coil connecting portion passes. Claim 7 A variable inductor according to claim 1, wherein an assembly for fixing the coil and the aperture comprises: a lower fixing member fixedly installed on the upper surface of a substrate having a U-shaped lower mounting surface on which the lower portion of the coil or the aperture is seated; an upper fixing member coupled to the lower fixing member having an inverted U-shaped upper mounting surface on which the upper portion of the coil or the aperture is seated; and a support member coupled to the upper fixing member or the lower fixing member and supporting at least one portion of the upper, lower, or both sides of the coil and the aperture. Claim 8 A variable inductor according to claim 1, further comprising an aperture operation control unit for controlling the movement of the blade, wherein the aperture operation control unit comprises an actuator for operating the blade and a control circuit for controlling the actuator. Claim 9 A variable inductor according to claim 8, wherein the control circuit includes a microprocessor, and the microprocessor determines the aperture opening amount according to a sensing signal, feedback signal, or control command transmitted from the outside, and controls the voltage or current applied to the actuator according to the determined aperture opening amount.

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