Electronic equipment and method for cooling electronic equipment

Abstract

An electronic device (10), in particular a high power (HP), high voltage (HV) pulsed power supply arrangement for biasing a substrate in plasma processing, the electronic device (10) comprising:-a plurality of electrical components (15) capable of generating heat when the device (10) is in use; -a container (12) in which at least a portion of the plurality of electrical components (15) is placed; -an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) filled inside said container (12) and in direct contact with the electrical components (15) in order to deliver heat out of these electrical components (15) and to enhance the electrical insulation between these electrical components compared to the electrical insulation of air, the liquid (13) being enclosed in the container, the liquid is not in contact with external gas outside the container, and the liquid has been degassed prior to the start of operation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device for a high power (HP) pulsed power supply and in particular as part of the high power pulsed power supply for plasma processing, the electronic device comprising a plurality of electrical components generating heat, said electronic device comprising: - a container in which the plurality of electrical components is placed, - an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid filled within the container and in direct contact with the electrical components to transport heat out of these electrical components. BACKGROUND

[0002] HP pulsed power supplies are often required in plasma processing devices, for example for biasing a substrate, as disclosed for example in US 10,474,184 B2. For such plasma processing devices, one or more power supplies are often required, which can comprise such an electronic device as mentioned above. Such power supplies and such electronic devices are known for example from EP 4 235 738 Al, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0003] For the present invention, high power (HP) shall mean a power of 2 kW or more, in particular 10 kW or more, during at least some time of the pulse-on-time. High voltage (HV) shall mean a voltage of 1 kV or more, in particular 5 kV and more, in particular 10 kV or more, during at least some time of the pulse-on-time. Pulsed power supply shall mean a power supply having a pulse frequency in the range of 50 Hz up to 800 kHz.

[0004] In such HP, HV pulsed power supplies, the following challenges arise: For several reasons of the desired behavior of the plasma processing, the power supply shall typically be arranged as close to the plasma processing as possible. Otherwise, too much energy loss occurs in the feed cable and the feed cable costs rise. Furthermore, the voltage and / or current rise slope can be negatively affected, for example due to dielectric losses within the cable. Due to the only small space available near the plasma chamber, the overall size of such power supplies is very limited. In order to keep the size as small as possible, the electronic components have to be tightly packed together in the power supply. However, these small size requirements contradict the high insulation requirements caused by the high voltage and the low capacitance requirements in the power supply due to the high rise times of voltage and current.

[0005] An "electrically insulating heat transfer liquid" shall not conduct electricity in a reliable manner. The insulating properties shall be better than air. By "air" is meant all types of air surrounding such electronic equipment during manufacturing, maintenance, testing and / or use. With such an electrically insulating liquid, a smaller creepage distance and / or a smaller discharge distance can be achieved than in the case where air is used for insulation.

[0006] Possible liquids that can be used for cooling are disclosed, for example, in WO 2021 / 008949 A1, wherein fluorinated liquids are described as very effective heat transfer liquids.

[0007] However, it was found that unpredictable and random failures occur in such power supply devices that are cooled with direct contact to the liquid. These failures are the focus of research and investigation. SUMMARY

[0008] In view of this, it is the object of the present invention to disclose an improved electronic equipment and an improved method of cooling an electronic equipment, thereby reducing the above-mentioned problems. In particular, an improved electronic equipment shall be disclosed that is suitable for high power (HP) and high voltage (HV) pulsed power supply devices for plasma processing. The overall size shall be kept as small as possible, but without any adverse effects on reliability.

[0009] Furthermore, a method of cooling such an equipment shall be disclosed.

[0010] With regard to the equipment, this object is achieved by the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid being enclosed in a container such that the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid is not in contact with extraneous gases outside the container during operation of the electronic equipment and the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid has been degassed before the start of the operation.

[0011] By "degassed before the start of the operation" is meant that dissolved gases are removed from the liquid. There are various methods for removing dissolved gases from a liquid, such as pressure reduction, thermal conditioning, membrane degassing, ultrasonic degassing, by bubbling through an inert gas, addition of a reducing agent, etc. Thus, in the case where such removal of dissolved gases from the liquid has been intentionally carried out before the start of the operation of the electronic equipment, the liquid is degassed. This can be carried out during production of the electronic equipment and / or immediately before the start of each operation or each time an operation is started.

[0012] The cause of the unpredictable and random failures was found to be bubble formation in the liquid when the liquid warms up during operation of the electronic equipment. With a reduction of such bubble formation, the frequency of occurrence of such failures also decreases. Therefore, many attempts were made to reduce such bubble formation. One successful attempt was to degas the liquid and to prevent the dissolution of new gases during delivery, installation and / or operation.

[0013] In one aspect, the degassing of the liquid is completed during the manufacturing of the electronic equipment, both before its use and before delivery. Therefore, the manufacturer has complete control over the degassing process and can control the condition of the equipment before delivery and installation. Different conditions can be implemented for different applications or environments, such as ambient temperature, to save production costs.

[0014] In one aspect, the electronic equipment is configured such that degassing of the liquid can be performed during the maintenance and / or use of the electronic equipment. For this purpose, inlets and outlets for the liquid can be attached to the container. These connections can be closureable and sealable, so that gas or air from the outside cannot enter the container during the degassing process.

[0015] In one aspect, the electronic device includes a degassing unit for removing gas from the liquid. Degassing can also be performed during operation using such a degassing unit connected to the container. This can be an additional benefit in process fields where the reliability requirements of electronic devices are very high or where the temperature and / or voltage between components are very high.

[0016] In one aspect, the degassing unit includes a housing having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, at least one porous membrane, and at least one gas outlet. Such a degassing unit can facilitate degassing during operation and / or maintenance.

[0017] In one aspect, the degassing unit includes a membrane comprising multiple pores for removing gas from the liquid. Such a degassing unit can facilitate degassing during operation and / or maintenance and / or manufacturing.

[0018] In one aspect, the degassing unit includes a low-pressure source, particularly a vacuum source, connected to the at least one gas outlet. Using such a degassing unit, gases can be removed in a very efficient manner.

[0019] In one aspect, the degassing unit includes a hollow fiber membrane array, a distribution tube, and a collection tube. The hollow fiber membrane array comprises multiple hollow fiber membranes coaxially arranged within a cylinder, and a baffle for transferring liquid is arranged between the distribution tube and the collection tube. Using this degassing unit, gas can be removed in a very efficient manner.

[0020] In one aspect, the electrically insulating heat-transferring liquid is enclosed in a hermetically sealed volume, which is at least partially arranged inside a container and maintained within a predetermined pressure range. This pressure range should be regulated. The pressure range refers to, for example, a range of pressure values ​​from 2 bar to 3 bar.

[0021] In one respect, containers include: - A first volume, which is filled with gas; and - A second volume filled with an electrically insulating and heat-transferring liquid, with no separating component between the first and second volumes.

[0022] Here, a membrane is not required between the first and second volumes. This is especially possible when the electrically insulating heat-transfer liquid has a sufficiently high solubility for the gas in the first volume to compensate for volume changes in the second volume over a predefined temperature range, which is the temperature range during the operation of the device.

[0023] In one respect, containers include: - A first volume, which is filled with gas; and - A second volume, which is filled with an electrically insulating and heat-transferring liquid; and - A membrane that separates the first volume from the second volume.

[0024] In one respect, the membrane is permeable to gas in the direction from the second volume to the first volume, but impermeable in the opposite direction.

[0025] In one aspect, the equipment includes a pressure control device, particularly a gas pressure control device, for controlling the pressure in one or more of the following volumes: - First volume, - Second volume, and - The volume that is sealed off by an airtight seal.

[0026] Compared to the electrical insulation of air, electrically insulating and heat-transferring liquids can enhance the electrical insulation between these electrical components.

[0027] In one aspect, an electronic device includes a liquid guiding device configured to guide an electrically insulating heat-transferring liquid in parallel along at least a portion of a plurality of electrical components, such that said portion of the electrical components are cooled at the same temperature.

[0028] This has the following significant advantages in such electronic devices: it can reduce electrical deviations among a portion of the multiple electrical components due to temperature differences between the components. This makes the electronic device more stable.

[0029] Different solutions for liquid guiding devices are possible, such as pipes, pumps, fans, etc. Importantly, these solutions are capable of guiding liquid through these electrical components in parallel, thereby cooling these components at the same temperature.

[0030] In one respect, the electronic device is configured to: a. Multiple electrical components include semiconductor components, particularly transistors and / or diodes, connected in a series circuit, which is configured to be connected to a high voltage of ≥1 kV when in operation, wherein, b. Semiconductor components, particularly transistors and / or diodes, in a series circuit are connected in such a way that, during operation, a high voltage is divided among at least a portion of the semiconductor components, and c. The electronic device includes a liquid guiding device configured to guide an electrically insulating heat-transferring liquid in parallel along at least a portion of the semiconductor components, such that the semiconductor components are cooled at the same temperature.

[0031] It has been found that in such electronic devices, particularly in the aforementioned high-power, high-voltage pulsed power supplies, several switching elements need to be connected in series. For pulsed power supplies, these switching elements must switch rapidly, making semiconductor components the only possible solution. A desirable approach for these semiconductor components is through transistors that operate in switching modes.

[0032] However, such transistors are limited in terms of the maximum voltage across their connections and are generally not suitable for voltages ≥1 kV. One possible solution is to connect these semiconductor components, particularly transistors, in such a way that, during operation, the high voltage is divided among at least a portion of the semiconductor components. However, this is only effective if the circuit is balanced well enough that the voltage at any one of these semiconductor components does not rise beyond its limit. This balancing is a design challenge. Even small deviations can lead to imbalances, which may be small initially but increase with self-reinforcing feedback. It has been found that even cooling devices can affect the balance. Further research has revealed that cooling components in parallel and cooling them at the same temperature have an improving effect on the overall balance of these components.

[0033] Therefore, it was decided to obtain a structure including a liquid guiding device configured to guide an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid in parallel along at least a portion of these semiconductor components, such that these semiconductor components are cooled at the same temperature.

[0034] As mentioned earlier, different solutions for liquid guiding devices can exist, such as pipes, pumps, fans, etc. Importantly, these solutions are capable of guiding liquid through these electrical components in parallel, thereby cooling these components at the same temperature.

[0035] In one aspect, the liquid guiding device includes a plurality of flow channels in a PCB, the flow channels being positioned at a predetermined distance from the semiconductor component, the semiconductor component being placed on the PCB in a manner that cools at the same temperature.

[0036] PCB refers to a printed circuit board or similar carrier on which electrical components can be placed and connected.

[0037] In one aspect, the transistor operates as a switching transistor to switch the pulses of a high-voltage (HV) pulse power supply device. Examples and functionality are described in more detail, for example, in EP 4 235 738 A1.

[0038] In one aspect, the liquid guiding device comprises a volume having a first pressure on one side of the carrier of the PCB or electrical component and a volume having a second pressure on the other side of the carrier of the PCB or electrical component, and the carrier of the PCB or electrical component includes a hole as a flow channel for parallel guiding of liquid.

[0039] In one aspect, the device includes components, particularly fan blades or pump rotors, that come into contact with the liquid and are configured for movement, wherein at least some of these components are made of metal or other conductive materials, or are coated with a layer of conductive material, particularly titanium nitrate.

[0040] In one aspect, the device includes a wave generator configured to move liquid around the container to transfer heat from the electrical components.

[0041] In one aspect, at least some of the electrical components are arranged such that the potential of the electrical components supports natural convection, which acts as a wave generator.

[0042] In one aspect, the wave generator includes a stirrer or a pump.

[0043] In one aspect, the liquid is configured to fill the container, and the container includes a first volume above the level of the liquid.

[0044] Furthermore, regarding this method, the objective of the present invention is achieved by a method for cooling an electronic device, particularly an HP pulsed power supply device for biasing a substrate in plasma processing, the method comprising the following steps: - Provide containers, - Electrical components that will generate heat during use will be arranged inside the container. - Fill the container with an electrically insulating and heat-transferring liquid. - Remove gas from the liquid - Circulate the liquid, specifically around the container, to transfer heat from the electrical components.

[0045] Some malfunctions have been found to be caused by bubbles generated in the liquid during the heating process. Therefore, it has been found that the proposed use of this insulating liquid in the gas / liquid balance as proposed in WO 2021 / 008949 A1 may adversely affect the use of this power supply device.

[0046] This invention solves the problem of constructing a high-HP, HV pulsed power supply device for biasing a substrate in plasma processing. This high-HP, HV pulsed power supply device is highly reliable for plasma processing.

[0047] According to another embodiment of the invention, any insulating component in contact with the liquid and configured for movement, such as a fan blade or pump rotor, is made of metal or other conductive material, or coated with a layer of conductive material. This reduces electrostatic discharge and thus enhances the efficiency of the component in contact with the insulating cooling liquid by reducing electrostatic forces in the liquid.

[0048] According to another embodiment of the invention, at least some of the electrical components are arranged such that the potential of the electrical components supports natural convection, which acts as a wave generator. In view of this, a dedicated pump unit can be avoided, or arranged in a smaller form. Since insulating liquids are sensitive to high electric field gradients and can be accelerated using strong electric fields, this phenomenon can be used to move the liquid. Typically, the liquid accelerates from a negative potential in the electric field towards a positive potential. This phenomenon can be used to obtain natural convection. To obtain natural convection, the direction of the potential should preferably be appropriately designed. Therefore, mechanical pumps, fans, or agitators can be completely avoided, or the effectiveness of such devices can be enhanced by using natural convection.

[0049] According to another embodiment of the invention, the wave generator includes a stirrer or a pump. Therefore, highly efficient gas removal can be achieved.

[0050] According to another embodiment of the invention, the liquid is configured to fill a container, and the container includes a gas volume above the liquid level. It has been found that the gas solubility of the cooling liquid depends on the pressure. Since the liquid expands with increasing temperature, some additional empty volume should be provided to allow the cooling liquid to expand. If the pressure increases, the gas solubility also increases. Therefore, more gas dissolves as the pressure rises. Consequently, the pressure decreases and stabilizes at the level where the gas solubility is highest for a given pressure. Therefore, the total volume of the container with the cooling liquid and gas can be kept as small as possible.

[0051] According to another embodiment of the invention, the degassing unit includes a membrane comprising a plurality of pores for removing gas from a liquid. Using a membrane is highly efficient in removing gas from a flowing liquid. The pores are typically micropores small enough to remove only gas without removing liquid.

[0052] According to another embodiment of the invention, the effectiveness of gas removal can be further enhanced by using a vacuum source connected to at least one gas outlet.

[0053] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the degassing unit includes a hollow fiber membrane array, a distribution tube, and a collection tube. The hollow fiber membrane array includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes coaxially arranged in a cylinder, and a baffle for transferring liquid is arranged between the distribution tube and the collection tube.

[0054] This degassing unit is sold by 3M under the trademark "Liqui-Cel". This degassing unit is specifically designed for removing gases from water. According to the present invention, this commercially available degassing unit is used to remove gases from electrically insulating heat-transfer liquids.

[0055] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the liquid is circulated by natural convection, preferably by natural convection assisted by an electric field generated by at least some of the electrical components.

[0056] According to another embodiment of this method, the liquid is circulated by a pump or agitator.

[0057] According to another embodiment of the invention, a porous membrane is used to remove gas from a liquid.

[0058] In addition, vacuum can be used to assist in gas removal to enhance effectiveness.

[0059] In addition, electrically insulating heat transfer liquids can be configured as liquids that are filled into a container and expand in volume above the top level of the liquid.

[0060] All these measures contribute to improving the effectiveness of the method according to the invention.

[0061] It is understood that the features mentioned above and to be mentioned below may be used not only in a given combination, but also in different combinations or independently of each other, without departing from the scope of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0062] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0063] Figure 1A A first embodiment of the electronic device is shown; Figure 1B Another implementation of the electronic device is shown; Figure 1C Another implementation of the electronic device is shown; Figure 2 It is a graph showing the trend of pressure inside a container with a volume of cooling liquid and gas above the gas, as well as the trend of temperature change of the cooling liquid over time. Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a conventional degassing unit used in this invention, shown schematically. Figure 4 Another implementation of the electronic device is shown; Figure 5 Another implementation of the electronic device is shown; Figure 6 Another implementation of the electronic device is shown; Figure 7 An implementation method for connecting to a high-voltage series circuit is shown; and Figure 8 A plasma processing system with a plasma chamber is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0064] exist Figure 1A The embodiment of the electronic device 10 according to the present invention is illustrated schematically in the figure.

[0065] Device 10 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 14 or similar carrier for electronic or electrical components 15. Various electronic or electrical components 15 are positioned on the PCB 14. These electronic or electrical components 15 may be one or more transistors 60, diodes 66a, one or more resistors 62, one or more capacitors 63, one or more inductors and / or transformers 64a, 64b, or one or more integrated circuits 66, particularly semiconductor-based integrated circuits such as driving circuits for transistors 60. All of these electronic or electrical components are part of electronic device 10. In this embodiment, the entire PCB 14 and all electrical components 15 are positioned inside container 12. This is not mandatory. This is possible here and in all other embodiments, but some components of the components 15 may also be outside container 12, as will be discussed later. Figures 4 to 6 As shown.

[0066] Container 12 is filled with liquid 13. Liquid 13 is configured as, for example, an insulating heat transfer liquid such as that disclosed in WO 2021 / 008949 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0067] The electronic device 10 can be any type of electronic device that requires high packaging density and direct liquid cooling. In particular, the device 10 can be an HP, HV pulse power supply device, especially an HP, HV pulse power supply device for biasing a substrate in plasma processing, such as those known from EP 4 235 738 A1.

[0068] Electronic device 10 may be part of an HP, HV pulse power supply device, particularly an HP, HV pulse power supply device for biasing a substrate in plasma processing, especially the part of such power supply device that most requires cooling and insulation, such as switching transistors, HV transformers, diodes, and damping circuits including inductors and / or resistors.

[0069] Container 12 can be airtightly sealed, so that neither gas nor liquid can escape. The gas solubility of the cooling liquid can be controlled by the pressure of liquid 13. The liquid expands as the temperature rises. Therefore, some additional volume 31 filled with a compressible medium such as gas is required above the top liquid level 29 of liquid 13 to allow for the increase of the second volume 35 of liquid 13.

[0070] The electrically insulating heat transfer liquid 13 is enclosed in a hermetically sealed volume 17, which is at least partially arranged inside the container 12 and maintained within a predetermined regulated pressure range.

[0071] If the ratio of the volume of liquid 13 to the first volume 31 of the compressible medium and the pressure at a predefined temperature are selected in a preferred manner, the following will occur: if the pressure increases, the gas solubility will also increase. Therefore, more gas will be dissolved by liquid 13. Consequently, the pressure in the container will decrease and stabilize at a level where the gas solubility is highest for the current pressure.

[0072] exist Figure 2 In the diagram, pressure trend inside container 12, containing cooling liquid 13 and a top gas volume 31, is shown via pressure line 30, and temperature trend of cooling liquid temperature over time is shown via temperature line 32. Since lines 30 and 32 are time-varying lines, the horizontal axis represents time. Temperature values ​​are displayed in °C on the right axis, and pressure difference values ​​are displayed on the left axis.

[0073] This phenomenon can be seen below. Figure 2 The following explanation is provided with the help of the graph: The cooling liquid 13, which has high gas solubility, can be used to reduce the volume expansion of the container 12 and compensate for volume changes with temperature. On the other hand, the volume change of the container 12 containing the cooling liquid 13 and the gas should be kept as small as possible to avoid thermal expansion of the liquid 13.

[0074] Figure 1B Another embodiment of the electronic device 10 is shown. (Compared to...) Figure 1A Compared to device 10, the wave generator 24, and especially the pump, is connected to container 12. Liquid is fed back into container 12 from the wave generator 24 through liquid line 26.

[0075] and Figure 1A Compared to device 10, a membrane 76 exists between the first volume 31 and the second volume 35. This is not mandatory; the membrane is shown here only to illustrate the possible combinations of the features mentioned above.

[0076] Figure 1C Another embodiment of the electronic device 10 is shown. (Compared to...) Figure 1A Compared to device 10, the device uses a wave generator 24 and a degassing unit 16 to remove gas from the liquid 13 when coolant is injected into the device. In the illustrated device, the degassing unit 16 is arranged externally for high efficiency and easy access. After degassing the liquid 13, the degassing unit 16 can be used as follows: Figure 1A , Figure 1B The connection will be disconnected or the system will remain inactive.

[0077] The degassing unit 16 includes a housing 19 in which a porous membrane 18 is arranged. Liquid 13 from container 12 is drawn into the inlet port 20 of the degassing unit and forced out through the outlet port by a wave generator 24, and in particular a pump. Gas is removed through the porous membrane 18 and discharged through the gas outlet port. Gas removal is typically assisted by an external vacuum source 27.

[0078] Container 12 is filled with liquid 13, such that a small amount of gas 31 is retained above the liquid. The element that separates the gas from the liquid is membrane 76.

[0079] Membrane 76 separates the coolant from the gas and prevents gas 31 from entering the degassed liquid 13. This design enables efficient removal of gas from the liquid 13.

[0080] exist Figure 3 The diagram shows a suitable high-efficiency degassing unit, sold by 3M under the trademark "Liqui-CEL," and generally indicated by reference numeral 34. This degassing unit is specifically designed for removing gases from water; however, according to the invention, it is used for removing gases from an electrically insulating heat-transferring liquid 13.

[0081] exist Figure 3 In the following description, similar parts will be referred to using the same reference numerals as before.

[0082] The degassing unit 34 includes a housing 19, within which a cylinder 38 is included. A liquid inlet port 20 is provided at a first end of the housing 19; and an outlet port 22 is provided at a second end.

[0083] A gas / vacuum port 36 is also arranged at the first end, and a gas outlet port 28 is arranged at the second end. Liquid travels from the inlet port 20 through the central distribution pipe 42 and is distributed radially into the hollow fiber membrane array 48, which includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 46 arranged coaxially within the cylinder 38.

[0084] A central baffle 40 is provided for deflecting to the outside to improve effectiveness. On the other side of the baffle 40, a central collection pipe 44 is provided for collecting the liquid after gas removal, which is discharged from the degassing unit 34 through the outlet port 22.

[0085] A portion of the hollow fiber membrane is shown magnified and depicted by 46. Enlarged micropores within membrane 46 are indicated by reference numeral 50. The fiber membrane array is shown magnified in cross-sectional view 48.

[0086] Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 Three different embodiments of the electronic device 10 are shown. The electronic device 10 includes a container 12. The container 12 includes a heat transfer liquid 13, a PCB 14, a circulation device 80, and a pneumatic system 74.

[0087] Container 12 is filled with heat transfer fluid 13. PCB 14 is arranged in container 12 and surrounded by heat transfer fluid 13. In addition, PCB 14 extends out of container 12 on both sides.

[0088] PCB 14 is equipped with various components. These components include transistor 60, heat sink 61, resistor 62, capacitor 63, inductors 64a and 64b, diode 66a, and driver 66. The driver 66 of PCB 14 can be arranged on the outside of container 12 on PCB 14. In this way, the driver is not surrounded by heat transfer fluid 13. The remaining components are arranged on PCB 14 inside container 12 and are therefore surrounded by heat transfer fluid 13. Inductors 64a and 64b are shown in two different embodiments. Heat sink 61 is each arranged on transistor 60 and has multiple pins. PCB 14 also includes several flow channels 65. These flow channels 65 are designed to allow heat transfer fluid 13 to flow through. Thus, heat transfer fluid 13 can flow through PCB 14 such that the same heat transfer fluid 13 is present above and below PCB 14. For clarity, only one of the different components is provided with reference numerals. However, the remaining components can also be specified by the same appearance as the same components.

[0089] The electronic device 10 includes a liquid guiding device 95 configured to guide an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid 13 along at least a portion of a plurality of electrical components 15, such that the portion of electrical components 15 are cooled at the same temperature.

[0090] As mentioned earlier, different solutions for the liquid guiding device 95 can exist, such as pipes, pumps, fans, etc. Importantly, these solutions are capable of guiding liquid through these electrical components in parallel, thereby cooling these components at the same temperature.

[0091] One possible solution is that the liquid guiding device consists of a volume having a first pressure on one side of the PCB 14 and a volume having a second pressure on the other side of the PCB 14, and the PCB includes holes as flow channels 65 for parallel guiding of the liquid.

[0092] The components described and shown herein are exemplary for the assembly of PCB 14. PCB 14 may also be equipped with other components such as diode 66a.

[0093] The circulation device 80 of container 12 includes a heat transfer liquid outlet 67, a heat transfer liquid inlet 68, a heat transfer liquid pump 70, and a heat transfer liquid conduit 69. When the heat transfer liquid 13 is heated, the heated liquid rises upwards inside container 12. The risen heat transfer liquid 13 then reaches the circulation device 80 via the heat transfer liquid outlet 67, where it returns to the lower region of container 12 via the heat transfer liquid pump 70, heat transfer liquid conduit 69, and heat transfer liquid inlet 68. Within the circulation device 80, the heat transfer liquid 13 can be cooled down by other equipment. Overall, the circulation device 80 thus ensures the circulation of the heat transfer liquid 13 within container 12.

[0094] As shown by arrow 87, the heat transfer liquid 13 flows through the flow channel 65 to cool several components and transistors 60 in parallel, so that they are cooled at the same temperature.

[0095] As the heat transfer liquid 13 heats up, it expands and the pressure in container 12 increases accordingly. Container 12 has a pneumatic system 74 for counteracting this pressure increase. The purpose of the pneumatic system 74 is to regulate the pressure inside container 12.

[0096] to this end, Figure 4 The pneumatic system 74 includes a membrane 76, a gas 75, a pumping device 72, and a gas pressure control device 73. The membrane 76 is made of an elastic material and is positioned above the PCB 14 within the container 12. The membrane 76 is impermeable to the heat transfer liquid 13. For the gas 75, the membrane 76 is permeable from one side (i.e., from bottom to top). The gas 75 of the pneumatic system 74 is positioned above the membrane 76 within the container 12. Due to the one-sided gas permeability of the membrane 76, unwanted gases in the heat transfer liquid 13 can pass through the membrane 76 and exit from the heat transfer liquid 13. Therefore, the heat transfer liquid 13 is less affected in terms of its function.

[0097] When the heat transfer liquid 13 expands, the membrane 76 is pushed upwards, and the pressure in container 12 increases without a change in the volume of gas 75. However, the volume of gas 75 in container 12 can be increased or decreased via pumping device 72 and gas pressure control device 73. Pumping device 72 and gas pressure control device 73 are connected to container 12 via gas outlet 71.

[0098] In general, the pneumatic system 74 can therefore increase or decrease the pressure in container 12 by increasing or decreasing the volume of gas 75 in container 12.

[0099] exist Figure 5 and Figure 6In the pneumatic system 74, there are cylinder 78, piston 77, gas 75, pumping device 72 (not shown), and gas pressure control device 73 (not shown).

[0100] Basically, the pneumatic system 74 here has a connection with the source Figure 4 The pneumatic system 74 has the same functions as the pneumatic system 74 and also has functionality.

[0101] The only difference is that the pneumatic system 74 is designed as a cylinder 78. The gas 75 in the pneumatic system 74, which regulates the pressure in container 12, is arranged above the piston 77 within the cylinder 78 and is not located within container 12. The piston 77 functions as a membrane 76 and can move up and down via the volume of the gas 75 located in the cylinder 78 to change the pressure in container 12. A pumping device 72 and a gas pressure control device 73 may be located at the top of the cylinder 78 (not shown).

[0102] exist Figure 5 In this process, cylinder 78 is introduced into container 12. Therefore, heat transfer liquid 13 in container 12 can enter cylinder 78 via the open lower side of cylinder 78.

[0103] exist Figure 6 In this container, cylinder 78 is disposed outside container 12 and connected to container 12 via cylinder conduit 79. Heat transfer liquid 13 in container 12 can enter cylinder 78 via cylinder conduit 79. Cylinder 78 can be made of the same material as container 12.

[0104] Figure 7 An embodiment of a series circuit 89 configured to be connected to a high voltage 83 (HV ≥ 1 kV) when in operation is shown. This HV 83 between connection points 81 and 82 can be generated by a plurality of low-power generators (LP generators) 94, 96, and 98 connected in series.

[0105] The series circuit 89 includes semiconductor components 84 connected in series, particularly transistors 60 and / or diodes 66a.

[0106] Further details and functions of this circuit are described in EP 4 235 738 A1. Figure 7 The embodiment of the series circuit 89 shown is only one of several possible embodiments. Some other embodiments are described, for example, in EP 4 235738 A1.

[0107] Figure 8A plasma processing system with a plasma chamber 100 is shown, wherein plasma 101 is generated in a plasma space. Such a system or a similar system is also shown and described, for example, in EP 4 235 738 A1. The device 10 in this specification is designed for such a system or a similar system. An upper electrode 103 can be positioned within the plasma chamber. Gas inlets and / or gas outlets, particularly gas supply pipes 104, can be positioned from the outside to the inside of the plasma chamber 100, particularly connected to the electrode 103. A substrate 102, particularly a semiconductor wafer, can be placed on a support 105, which includes a substrate holder inside the plasma chamber 100. In use, for example during etching, ashing, or deposition processes, particularly in the case of atomic layer deposition, the substrate 102 can be processed by plasma 101. For example, when the ratio between the etched hole diameter and hole length is extremely low, for example, <1 / 100 (because this is often necessary in deep etching), the etching process can be extremely challenging. The conductive electrode 106 can be placed in the plasma chamber 100, particularly near the substrate 102, for example, around the substrate 102. The conductive electrode 106 can be an edge ring, also referred to as a focusing ring. The conductive electrode 106 can be connected to a first power supply device 114 via a first connecting line 115. The first power supply device 114 can be a DC pulse power supply device, wherein, in particular, the pulse can have different lengths, amplitudes, and shapes, such as, for example, US10,474,184 B2. Figure 2 As described in [the text].

[0108] Under the control of the first power supply device 114, the conductive electrode 106 may additionally or alternatively serve as an ion energy and / or ion acceleration direction control device, as also described in US 10,474,184 B2. The first radio frequency (RF) power supply device 118 may be electrically connected to the support 105 via a first power feed rod 119, a first matching unit 116, and a first connection unit 117. The second radio frequency (RF) power supply device 108 may be electrically connected to the upper electrode 103 via a second power feed rod 109, a second matching unit 110, and a second connection unit 111. The electrode 107 may be positioned in or near the support 105 and electrically connected to the second power supply device 112 via a second connection line 113. The second power supply device 112 may be a DC pulse power supply device, wherein, in particular, the pulse may have different lengths, amplitudes, and shapes, as described, for example, in US 10,474,184 B2. Figure 2As described in [reference needed]. The substrate 102 can be fixed to the support 105 via an electrode 107, which can be used as an electrostatic chuck. Under the control of the second power supply device 112, the electrode 107 can additionally or alternatively be used as an ion energy and / or ion acceleration direction control device, as described in US 10,474,184 B2.

[0109] Some plasma processing applications, such as etching or layer deposition, require high-voltage (HV), high-frequency (HF), rectangular, asymmetrical pulsed voltage supplies. These voltage values ​​often significantly exceed the voltage processing capabilities of a single semiconductor switch, especially when high-frequency operation is required.

[0110] Some plasma applications require not only pulses but also amplitude variations between pulses. Some plasma applications require a source to deliver high peak current to achieve short voltage transition times. Most plasma applications have loads containing capacitive components. Significant power losses are associated with the pulse-by-pulse charging and discharging process of this load capacitor. Some plasma applications require pulse shaping, such as, for example, US 10,474,184 B2. Figure 2 As described in [the text].

[0111] All described power supply devices 104, 112, 114, 118 may include electronic device 10 as described in this patent application.

[0112] For HV, series connection of such switches is a possible solution. Series connection requires voltage balancing methods. These voltage balancing methods are not easy to achieve, especially in RF operation. Even imperceptible variations in series connection can be accompanied by imbalance, which is often self-reinforcing and further degrades the system. It has been found that even cooling systems that cool the series connection of switches one after another rather than in parallel can have such an effect.

Claims

1. An electronic device (10) for use as a high-power (HP), high-voltage (HV) pulsed power supply device and particularly as part of said high-power, high-voltage pulsed power supply device for plasma processing, particularly for biasing a substrate in plasma processing, said electronic device (10) comprising: - Multiple electrical components (15) capable of generating heat when the device (10) is in use. - Container (12), in which at least a portion of the plurality of electrical components (15) are placed. - An electrically insulating heat transfer fluid (13), which fills the container (12) and is in direct contact with the electrical components (15) to transfer heat from these electrical components (15). Its features are, - The electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) is sealed in the container (12) so that the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid does not come into contact with external gas outside the container (12) during the operation of the electronic device, and the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) has been degassed before the start of operation.

2. The device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that, The degassing of the liquid (13) is performed during the manufacture of the electronic device (13) before its use and before delivery, and / or the electronic device (10) is configured such that the degassing of the liquid (13) can be performed during the maintenance and / or use of the electronic device (10).

3. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The electronic device (10) further includes a degassing unit (16, 34) for removing gas from the liquid (13).

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) is enclosed in a hermetically sealed volume (17), which is at least partially disposed inside the container (12) and maintained within a predetermined regulated pressure range.

5. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The container (12) includes: - A first volume (31), the first volume being filled with gas; and - A second volume (35) filled with the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) with no separating component between the first volume and the second volume.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) has a sufficiently high solubility for the gas in the first volume (31) to compensate for the volume change of the second volume (35) with temperature within a predefined temperature range, which is the temperature range during the use of the device (10).

7. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The container (12) includes: - A first volume (31), the first volume being filled with gas; and - A second volume (35), the second volume being filled with the electrically insulating heat-transferring liquid (13); and - A membrane (76) that separates the first volume (31) from the second volume (35).

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The membrane (76) is permeable to gas in the direction from the second volume (35) to the first volume (31), but impermeable in the opposite direction.

9. The device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, The device (10) includes a pressure control device, particularly a gas pressure control device (73), for controlling the pressure in one or more of the following volumes: - The first volume (31). - The second volume (35), and / or - The volume of the hermetically sealed container (17).

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, a. The electronic device (10) includes a liquid guiding device (95) configured to guide the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) along at least a portion of the plurality of electrical components (15) such that the portion of the plurality of electrical components (15) is cooled at the same temperature.

11. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, a. The plurality of electrical components (15) include semiconductor components (84, 86, 88), particularly transistors (60) and / or diodes (66a), connected in a series circuit (89), the series circuit (89) being configured to be connected to a high voltage ≥1 kV when in operation, wherein, b. The semiconductor components (84, 86, 88), particularly the transistor (60) and / or diode (66a), in the series circuit (89) are connected in such a way that, in operation, the high voltage is divided among at least a portion of the semiconductor components (84, 86, 88), and c. The electronic device (10) includes a liquid guiding device (95) configured to guide the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13) in parallel along at least a portion of the semiconductor components (84, 86, 88) such that the semiconductor components (84, 86, 88) are cooled at the same temperature.

12. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that, The liquid guiding device (95) includes a plurality of flow channels (65) in the PCB (14), the flow channels being a predetermined distance from the semiconductor component, the semiconductor component being placed on the PCB (14) in a manner that cools at the same temperature.

13. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The device (10) includes components, particularly fan blades or pump rotors, that are in contact with the liquid (13) and configured for movement, wherein at least some of these components are made of metal or other conductive materials, or are coated with a layer of conductive material, particularly titanium nitrate.

14. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The liquid (13) is configured to fill the container (12), and the container (12) includes a gas volume (31) above the liquid level (29) of the liquid.

15. A method for cooling an electronic device (10) comprising a plurality of electrical components (15) that generate heat, the electronic device being particularly a high-power (HP) pulsed power supply for biasing a substrate in plasma processing, the method comprising the steps of: - Provide container (12). - The electrical component (15) is arranged inside the container (12). - Fill the container (12) with an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid (13). - Remove gas from the liquid (13), - The liquid (13) is circulated, particularly around the container (12), to transfer heat from the electrical components (15).

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