RE-ENERGY MODULE, SWITCHING CIRCUIT AND EMBODIMENTS, PLASMA PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR GENERATING RECTANGULAR VOLTAGE OUTPUT PULSE FOR A PLASMA PROCESSING LOAD - Patent application

Abstract

A reenergizing module (15) for a switching circuit (101) having a switching unit (24), comprising: The switching unit is connectable to a DC voltage source (V1) and is configured to provide at its output (OUT) one or a combination of the following characteristics: iv) high voltage values; v) high voltage rise values ​​with reduced oscillations and / or overshoot; vi) high current values ​​for capacitive loads, especially plasma processing loads (12); The energy resupply module (15) c. a rectifier circuit (14) configured such that its positive end on its DC side is connected to the positive connection of the DC voltage source (V1) and its negative end on its DC side is connected to the negative connection of the DC voltage source; d. A transformer (TF1) i. configured to be connected in series between said switching unit (24) and said output (OUT), and having the following characteristics: - high voltage values, - high voltage rise values, -High current value a primary winding (18) configured to have both stray inductance and parasitic resistance low enough to introduce said one or a combination of: ii. a transformer (TF1) comprising a secondary winding (19) connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit (14).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an energy resupply module, a switching circuit comprising such an energy resupply module, a switching embodiment including at least one such switching circuit, a plasma system including such a switching circuit and / or such a switching embodiment, and a method for generating rectangular voltage output pulses.

[0002] Some plasma processing applications, such as etching or layer deposition, require high voltage (HV), radio frequency (HF), rectangular, asymmetric, and pulsed voltage supplies. Particularly when high frequency operation is required, the voltage values ​​often greatly exceed the voltage handling capabilities of individual semiconductor switches. Therefore, in many cases, series connection of such switches is the only possible solution. Series connection requires voltage balancing means, which are not easily realized in HF operation.

[0003] Most plasma applications present loads that contain capacitive components. Significant power losses are associated with the pulse-by-pulse charging and discharging process of this load capacitance. Further problems are the low efficiency of pulse generators and unwanted voltage oscillations. Therefore, voltage pulses with a (nearly) ideal rectangular shape are required.

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a reenergization module, a switching circuit, a switching embodiment, a plasma processing system, and a method for generating high voltage rectangular shaped pulses.

[0005] This object is solved by a reenergization module according to claim 1 and / or a switching circuit according to claim 8 and / or a switching embodiment according to claim 11 and / or a plasma system according to claim 12 and / or a method according to claim 13. Further aspects of the invention are defined in the dependent claims and / or the description.

[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, a re-energization module for a switching circuit having a switching unit is proposed, the switching unit being connectable to a DC voltage source and configured to deliver at its output one or a combination of the following characteristics: i) high voltage values, ii) high voltage rise values; iii) high current values ​​for capacitive loads, especially plasma processing loads; The energy resupply module a. a rectifier circuit, the rectifier circuit being configured such that its positive end on its DC side is connected to a positive connection of a DC voltage source and its negative end on its DC side is connected to a negative connection of the DC voltage source, in particular to ground potential; b. A transformer, i. configured to be connected in series between the switching unit and the output, and having the following characteristics: - high voltage values, - high voltage rise values, -High current value a primary winding configured to have both stray inductance and parasitic resistance low enough to introduce one or a combination of: ii. a transformer having a secondary winding connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit.

[0007] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is proposed a switching circuit connected to a plasma processing load, the switching circuit comprising: a series connection of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element, connected to a voltage source and configured to generate a high voltage (HV) pulse signal at an output connectable to a plasma load; a rectifier circuit connected to a voltage source; A transformer, a primary winding connected in series between the output and the connection point between the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element; a transformer having a secondary winding connected to the rectifier circuit;

[0008] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is proposed a switching circuit configured to deliver a high voltage (HV), fast rising pulse to a plasma processing load, the switching circuit comprising: a) a switching unit comprising a series connection of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element, a connection point of both switching elements, a low-side connection and a high-side connection, the low-side connection and the high-side connection being connected to a voltage source; b) a reenergization module as described herein, i. A rectifier circuit with its DC side connected to a voltage source; ii. a primary winding of a transformer connected in series between the output and the junction of the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element; iii. a secondary winding connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit; and an energy resupply module having the secondary winding connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit.

[0009] Such a switching circuit allows the generation of voltage pulses with an almost ideal rectangular shape. In particular, it is possible to prevent unwanted voltage oscillations. Furthermore, the efficiency of such a switching circuit is very high. If such a switching circuit is used in a high-voltage pulse generator, the efficiency of the pulse generator can be increased.

[0010] The stray inductance may be 100 μH or less, in particular 10 μH or less.

[0011] The parasitic resistance may be less than 1 Ω, in particular less than 0.1 Ω.

[0012] The high voltage value may be 800 V or more, in particular 1.5 kV or more, in particular at least 5 kV.

[0013] A high voltage rise value may be a voltage rise of at least 1 kV / μs, in particular 10 kV / μs or more, preferably 100 kV / μs or more. Voltage rise may also mean voltage drop.

[0014] The high current value may be at least 30 A, particularly 100 A or more.

[0015] The high voltage pulse signal may be a pulse signal having a high voltage as defined above, in particular a high voltage rise value as defined above.

[0016] The modules, units, circuits, and / or embodiments may be configured to power the plasma load with an output of at least 10 kW, advantageously 20 kW or more, particularly during a pulse.

[0017] The rectifier circuit may have its positive end on the DC side connected to the positive connection of the DC voltage source and its negative end on the DC side connected to the negative connection of the DC voltage source, in particular to ground potential.

[0018] The energy resupply module, switching circuit, and / or switching unit may be part of a high-power generator such as that described in European Patent Application Publication No. 22461510.4, filed February 28, 2022, and entitled "High-Power Generator and Method for Providing High-Power Pulses."

[0019] The transformer may be a step-up transformer. During pulse generation, the high-side switching element can be switched on, allowing energy from the voltage source to flow to an output that can be connected to a load, particularly a capacitive plasma load. At the beginning of this process, the primary winding of the transformer experiences almost the entire voltage difference between the voltage source and the load. A voltage is induced in the secondary winding of the transformer. The voltage is equal to the voltage of the primary winding multiplied by the transformer ratio. If this induced voltage is higher than the supply voltage on the busbar, the rectifier's rectifying component begins to conduct. In this way, the induced voltage in the secondary winding is limited to the voltage on the busbar, i.e., the supply voltage. Due to the transformer ratio, the voltage on the primary winding is also reduced (to a voltage corresponding to the voltage on the busbar divided by the transformer ratio). Therefore, at the beginning of charging the load, the transformer presents a relatively low impedance, allowing the load to charge quickly. In this state, the transformer's magnetic core does not store energy, which could cause an overvoltage on the load.

[0020] When the charging current is reduced so that the voltage induced by the secondary winding is no longer higher than the voltage on the busbar, the transformer acts simply as an inductor since no current flows through the secondary winding. The inductance of the primary winding of this transformer is now greater, so less current is available to charge the load capacitance. This slows down the charging process, reducing unwanted oscillations.

[0021] Essentially the same thing happens when the high-side switch opens and the low-side switch closes, i.e., at the trailing edge of the output voltage pulse. In this state, energy from the load capacitance is released through the low-side switch. At the start of this process, the voltage across the transformer primary is high enough that some energy is returned to the busbar by the rectifier circuit.

[0022] This process is relatively fast, as the current is limited primarily by the leakage inductance of the transformer. At the end of the capacitive load discharge, the voltage on the transformer primary winding is low (the voltage on the transformer secondary winding is lower than the busbar voltage), so the transformer begins to behave as a normal inductance, limiting the current and slowing down the load discharge process. Again, the amount of energy stored in the transformer inductance is small, so unwanted oscillations are relatively small.

[0023] Over time, as the load capacitance is charged and discharged, some energy is returned to the busbar, and thus to the power source, improving the overall efficiency of this circuit.

[0024] The rectifier circuit may comprise one component, specifically a rectifier diode, configured to conduct current in only one direction.

[0025] The rectifier circuit may comprise two components, in particular two rectifier diodes, configured to conduct current in only one direction.

[0026] The rectifier circuit may comprise four components, in particular four rectifier diodes, in particular a bridge circuit, configured to conduct current in only one direction, and in this way the rectifier circuit may be realized with inexpensive standard components.

[0027] To protect the load from overvoltage, an overvoltage protection unit, in particular an overvoltage protection diode, may be configured to be connected between the output and the rectifier circuit.

[0028] At least one overvoltage protection unit, in particular one overvoltage protection diode, may be configured to be connected between the output and at least one connection of the voltage source.

[0029] As mentioned above, the transformer charges itself. Therefore, it stores some energy. This can cause some overvoltage (the load capacitance is charged to a voltage higher than the busbar voltage). To avoid this, an overvoltage protection unit, in particular an overvoltage protection diode, can be provided to protect the load from overvoltage. In this way, unnecessary oscillations can be prevented. A first damping resistor can be connected in series with the overvoltage protection unit. This further stabilizes the energy resupply module. The first damping resistor can have a value between 1 Ω and 100 Ω, preferably between 20 Ω and 70 Ω.

[0030] A negative voltage protection unit, particularly a negative voltage protection diode, may be configured to be connected between the output and ground potential to protect the load from negative voltages. Furthermore, adding such a negative voltage protection unit, particularly a negative voltage protection diode that prevents the load from being charged to a negative voltage, in parallel with the load can limit unwanted oscillations. A second damping resistor may be connected in series with the negative voltage protection unit, thereby further stabilizing the energy resupply module. The second damping resistor may have a value of 1 Ω to 100 Ω, preferably 20 Ω to 70 Ω.

[0031] A diode may be connected in parallel with one, particularly each, of the switching elements. In this way, the switching elements can be protected from high voltages. This is particularly true when the switching elements include MOSFETs as switching components. Each switching element can include one or more switching components, such as MOSFETs or bipolar transistors.

[0032] One aspect of the present invention is a. several switching units as described above, in particular including a series connection of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element, a connection of both switching elements, a low-side connection and a high-side connection, the low-side connection and the high-side connection being connected to a voltage source; b. at least one switching circuit as described above, The switching units are connected in series with one voltage source connection point of one switching circuit being connected to the output of the next switching circuit in the series connection line.

[0033] Further aspects of the present invention relate to a plasma system comprising a plasma load and a switching circuit as described above, and / or a switching embodiment as described above. Such a plasma system may be advantageously used in semiconductor manufacturing processes, and may be particularly used for the manufacture of 3D memory devices, such as 3D NAND memory devices, which are preferred when etching deep holes for connecting 3D structures.

[0034] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of generating a rectangular voltage output pulse, the method comprising: generating an HV pulse signal at an output of the switching circuit using a series connection of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element connected to a voltage source; providing an HV pulse signal to the output via a primary winding of a transformer; Rectifying the current induced in the secondary winding of the transformer.

[0035] This method allows for the generation of voltage pulses with a nearly ideal rectangular shape, preventing voltage overshoots and oscillations and thus increasing efficiency.

[0036] During charging and discharging of the load capacitance connected to the output, energy is fed back to the busbar, which improves the efficiency of the switching circuit and significantly reduces power losses.

[0037] By providing a diode connected to the output, oscillations can be reduced.

[0038] More precisely, the vibrations a. Overvoltage protection units, especially overvoltage protection diodes, and / or b. It may be further reduced by providing a negative voltage protection unit, in particular a negative voltage protection diode connected to the output (OUT); In particular, a further reduction is achieved by first and / or second damping resistors respectively connected in series with the protection unit, in particular the diode.

[0039] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention based on the drawings and claims, which show the essential details of the invention. The features shown therein are not necessarily to scale, but are shown so as to clearly visualize the particular features according to the invention. The various features can be implemented individually or in any combination in variants of the invention.

[0040] The schematic drawings show examples of the invention in various stages of use, which are explained in more detail in the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a first example of a plasma processing system having a switching circuit and a re-energization module. [Figure 2] 4 shows the output voltage obtained with the switching circuit of the present invention. [Figure 3a] 10 illustrates additional examples of plasma processing systems each having a series combination of switching circuits with one or several re-energization modules. [Figure 3b] 10 illustrates additional examples of plasma processing systems each having a series combination of switching circuits with one or several re-energization modules. [Figure 4a] 10 illustrates additional examples of plasma processing systems each having a series combination of switching circuits with one or several re-energization modules. [Figure 4b] 10 illustrates additional examples of plasma processing systems each having a series combination of switching circuits with one or several re-energization modules. [Figure 5a] The diagrams of Figures 1 and 2 are shown in simplified form. [Figure 5b] A related possibility is shown in Figure 5a. [Figure 5c] A related possibility is shown in Figure 5a. [Figure 5d] A related possibility is shown in Figure 5a.

[0042] 1 shows a first example of a plasma processing system 100 having a plasma processing load 12 and a switching circuit 101 comprising an energy resupply module 15 and a switching unit 24, both connected to a DC voltage source V1. The switching circuit 101 is configured to deliver a high voltage value, a high voltage boost value and / or a high current value at its output OUT to a capacitive load, in particular the plasma processing load 12. The plasma processing load 12 has a resistive component R L and the capacitance component C L Resistance component R L Typical values ​​of the capacitance component C are between 0.5 kΩ and 50 kΩ. LA typical value of is between 0.1 μF and 1 μF. This may be a plasma load similar or identical to that described in European Patent Application No. EP22461510.4, filed February 28, 2022, entitled "High-Power Generator and Method for Providing High-Power Pulses," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The plasma processing system 100 described herein may be similar or identical to that described in FIG. 10 of EP22461510.4, for example. The switching unit 24 includes a series connection of a high-side switching element S1 and a low-side switching element S2 and may be similar or identical to the switching units 24, 26, and 28 of EP22461510.4. The switching unit 24 may have its positive end 26 connected to the positive connection of the DC voltage source V1 and its negative end 25 connected to the negative connection of the DC voltage source V1, specifically to ground potential PE.

[0043] The switching circuit 101 further comprises an energy re-supply module 15. The energy re-supply module 15 has a positive end connected to the positive connection of the DC voltage source V1 and a negative end connected to the negative connection of the DC voltage source V1. The energy re-supply module 15 is further connected to a connection point 16 between the high-side switching element S1 and the low-side switching element S2. The energy re-supply module 15 is further connected to an output OUT of the switching circuit 101.

[0044] The energy resupply module 15 includes a rectifier circuit 14 and a transformer TF1. The rectifier circuit 14 has its positive end on the DC side connected to the positive connection of the DC voltage source V1 and its negative end connected to the negative connection of the DC voltage source V1, specifically to ground potential PE. The transformer TF1 includes a primary winding 18 and a secondary winding 19. The primary winding 18 is connected in series between the output OUT of the switching circuit 101 and the switching unit 24, specifically to the connection point 16 between the high-side switching element S1 and the low-side switching element S2. The transformer TF1 is configured to have both stray inductance and parasitic resistance low enough to conduct the aforementioned high voltages, high voltage rises, and / or high currents. Both ends of the secondary winding 19 of the transformer TF1 are connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit 14. The rectifier circuit 14 includes four diodes DR1 to DR4 connected in a bridge circuit. The rectifier circuit 14 has a DC side connected to a voltage source V1 and an AC side connected to a secondary winding of a transformer TF1, which may include a magnetic core.

[0045] Diodes D1, D2 are provided in parallel with each switching element S1, S2, and may be used as freewheeling diodes and / or to protect the switching elements S1, S2 from negative voltages.

[0046] An overvoltage protection unit embodied as a further diode D01 is connected between the output OUT and the positive connection of the voltage source V1 to protect the load from overvoltages. A negative voltage protection unit embodied as another diode D02 is connected in parallel between the negative connection of the voltage source V1, specifically between the ground potential PE and the output OUT, i.e., the load 12, to protect the load from negative voltages. These diodes D01 and D02 can also reduce oscillations. Furthermore, a first damping resistor R1 is connected in series with the overvoltage protection unit and embodied as a diode D01. Furthermore, a second damping resistor R2 is connected in series with the negative voltage protection unit and embodied as a diode D02. Using these resistors, oscillations can be further reduced.

[0047] The operation of the switching circuit 101 is as follows. During pulse generation, the high-side switching element S1 may be switched on to allow energy from the voltage source V1 to flow to the output OUT. At the beginning of this process, almost the entire voltage difference between the voltage source V1 and the voltage on the load 12 appears across the primary winding of the transformer TF1. Thus, a voltage is induced across the secondary winding 19 of the transformer TF1. The voltage value is equal to the voltage on the primary winding multiplied by the transformer ratio. If this induced voltage is higher than the voltage on the voltage source V1, the forward-biased diodes DR1-DR4 of the rectifier 14 begin to conduct, thereby limiting the induced voltage on the secondary winding to the value of the voltage on the voltage source V1. Due to the transformer ratio, the voltage on the primary winding also drops to a voltage corresponding to the voltage on the voltage source V1 divided by the transformer ratio. Thus, at the start of charging the load 12, the transformer TF1 presents a relatively low impedance, allowing the load 12 to charge quickly. In this condition, the transformer core does not store energy and may cause an overvoltage on the load 12 .

[0048] When the charging current is reduced so that the voltage induced by the secondary winding is no higher than the voltage on busbar V1, no current flows through the secondary winding, and transformer TF1 acts only as an inductor. The inductance of the primary winding of transformer TF1 increases, so the current charging load 12 decreases. The charging process therefore slows down, reducing unwanted oscillations.

[0049] The same thing happens when high-side switch S1 is open and low-side switch S2 is closed, i.e., at the falling edge of the output voltage pulse. Energy from the load is then released through low-side switch S2. At the start of this process, the voltage across the primary winding of transformer TF1 is high enough that some energy is returned to voltage source V1 by rectifier circuit 14.

[0050] This process is relatively fast because the current is limited primarily by the leakage inductance of transformer TF1. At the end of the load discharge, the voltage across the primary winding of transformer TF1 is low (the voltage across the secondary winding of transformer TF1 is lower than the voltage of voltage source V1). Therefore, transformer TF1 begins to behave as a normal inductance, limiting the current and slowing down the discharge process of load 12. Again, because the amount of energy stored in the inductance of transformer TF1 is small, unwanted oscillations are relatively small.

[0051] 2 shows the voltage waveform VOUT that the switching circuit 101 generates at its output OUT. As can be seen, a rectangular voltage pulse is obtained with a sharp fall and no oscillations in the corners of the pulse shape.

[0052] FIG. 3a shows a second example of a plasma processing system 300, in which a series combination of switching circuits 301, 301i, ... 301n comprises re-energy supply modules 315, 315i, ... 315n and switching units 324, ... 324i, 324n, respectively.

[0053] Each switching unit 324, 324i, . . . 324n is connected to a corresponding voltage source V1, Vi, .

[0054] A series combination of switching circuits 301, 301i, . . . 301n can make up a switching embodiment 311.

[0055] The switching units 324, . . . 324i, . . . 324n are connected in series with one voltage source connection point of one switching circuit 301, 301i connected to the output OUT of the next switching circuit 301i, 301n in the series connection line.

[0056] The resupply modules 315i,...315n are optional here. To this effect, only one resupply module 315 at the output of the switching embodiment 311 may be sufficient.

[0057] 3b shows a third example of a plasma processing system 300' having a series combination of switching circuits 301, 301i, ... 301n. Compared to FIG. 3a, the plasma processing system 300' comprises only one energy resupply module 315z, which is connected to the output of one of the switching circuits 301, and is connected to a voltage source V1 of the switching circuit 301, in particular to the voltage source Vn of the switching circuit 301n, in particular to the ground potential PE.

[0058] FIG. 4a shows a fourth example of a plasma processing system 400, in which a series combination of switching circuits 401, 401i, ... 401n comprises re-energy supply modules 415, 415i, ... 415n and switching units 424, ... 424i, 424n, respectively.

[0059] Each of the switching units 424, 424i, . . . 424n is connected to a corresponding voltage source V1, Vi, .

[0060] A series combination of switching circuits 401, 401i, . . . 401n can make up a switching embodiment 411.

[0061] The switching units 424, . . . 424i, . . . 424n are connected in series to one voltage source connection point of one switching circuit 401n, 401i which is connected to the output OUT of the next switching circuit 401i, 401 in the series connection line.

[0062] The resupply modules 415i, ... 415n are optional here. To this effect, it may be sufficient to have only one resupply module 415 at the output of the switching embodiment 411. A switching embodiment 411 with such an implementation is shown in Figure 4b, where the plasma processing system 400' has only one energy resupply module 415z.

[0063] 5a-5d, the advantages of the energy resupply module 15, 315, 415, the switching circuit 24, 324, 424 comprising such an energy resupply module, the switching embodiment 311, 411 comprising at least one of such switching circuits 324, 424, the plasma system 100, 300, 400 comprising such a switching circuit and / or such a switching embodiment, and the method for generating a rectangular voltage output pulse should become more apparent.

[0064] FIG. 5a shows the diagrams of FIGS. 1 and 2 together in a simplified representation.

[0065] Figures 5b-5d show the corresponding output voltages Voutb, Voutc, and Voutd of Figure 5a. The voltage amplitude may be approximately 8 kV or greater. At the same time, the current (not shown) may be approximately 30 A or greater. The duration of such pulses may be from 0.5 μs to 2 μs. Therefore, the voltage rise time may be approximately 300 ns or less. It is easy to see that Vouta rises much faster than the voltages Voutc and Voutd of the corresponding circuits and systems of Figures 5c and 5d. Therefore, the module, circuit, embodiment, and system of Figure 5a are advantageous compared to the circuits of Figures 5c and 5d. Furthermore, it is easy to see that Vouta does not rise faster than the voltage Voutb of the corresponding circuits and systems of Figure 5b. However, the voltage Voutb of Figure 5b exhibits significant overvoltage fluctuations, which are not shown in Figure 5a. Thus, the module, circuit, embodiment and system of Figure 5a also has the advantage of fast switching with reduced overshoot and reduced oscillation compared to the circuit of Figure 5b.

Claims

1. A reenergization module (15) for a switching circuit (101) having a switching unit (24), comprising: Said switching unit is connectable to a DC voltage source (V1) and is configured to deliver at its output (OUT) one or a combination of the following characteristics: i) high voltage values; ii) high voltage rise values; iii) high current values ​​for capacitive loads, especially plasma processing loads (12); and The energy resupply module (15) a rectifier circuit (14) configured such that its positive end on its DC side is connected to the positive connection of said DC voltage source (V1) and its negative end on its DC side is connected to the negative connection of said DC voltage source (V1), in particular to ground potential (PE); b. A transformer (TF1) comprising: i. configured to be connected in series between said switching unit (24) and said output (OUT), and having the following characteristics: - high voltage values, - high voltage rise values, - High current a primary winding (18) configured to have both stray inductance and parasitic resistance low enough to introduce said one or a combination of: ii. A secondary winding (19) connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit (14); a transformer (TF1) comprising: an energy resupply module (15) comprising:

2. 2. The reenergization module (15) according to claim 1, wherein the transformer (TF1) is a step-up transformer.

3. 3. The energy resupply module (15) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rectifier circuit (14) comprises two components, in particular two rectifier diodes (DR1, DR3), configured to conduct current in only one direction, or four components, in particular four rectifier diodes (DR1-DR4), configured to conduct current in only one direction, in particular a bridge circuit.

4. 4. The energy resupply module (15) according to claim 1, wherein an overvoltage protection unit, in particular an overvoltage protection diode (D01), is configured to be connected between the output (OUT) and the positive end of the DC side of the rectifier circuit (14) to protect the load (12) from overvoltage.

5. 5. The energy resupply module (15) according to claim 4, comprising a first damping resistor R1 connected in series with the overvoltage protection unit.

6. 6. The energy resupply module (15) according to claim 1, wherein a negative voltage protection unit, in particular a negative voltage protection diode (D02), is configured to be connected between the output (OUT) and the negative connection of the voltage source (V1), in particular to ground potential (PE), in order to protect the load (12) from negative voltages.

7. 7. The energy resupply module (15) according to claim 6, comprising a second damping resistor (R2) connected in series with the negative voltage protection unit.

8. A switching circuit (101, 301, 401) configured to deliver a high voltage (HV) fast rising pulse to a plasma processing load (12), comprising: a switching unit (24) comprising a series connection of a high-side switching element (S1) and a low-side switching element (S2), a connection point (16) of both switching elements (S1, S2), a low-side connection (25) and a high-side connection (26), said low-side connection and high-side connection (25, 26) being connected to a voltage source (V1); b. An energy resupply module (15) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, i. the rectifier circuit (14) whose DC side is connected to the voltage source (V1); ii. The primary winding (18) of the transformer (TF1) connected in series between the output (OUT) and the connection point (16) between the high-side switching element (S1) and the low-side switching element (S2); iii. The secondary winding (19) connected to the AC side of the rectifier circuit (14); an energy resupply module (15) having A switching circuit (101, 301, 401) comprising:

9. 9. The switching circuit (101, 301, 401) according to claim 8, wherein a diode (D1, D2) is connected in parallel with one, in particular with each, of the switching elements (S1, S2).

10. 10. The switching circuit (101, 301, 401) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one overvoltage protection unit, in particular one diode (D01, D02), is connected between the output (OUT) and at least one connection of the voltage source (V1).

11. A switching embodiment (311, 411) comprising: a. several switching units (324, . . . 324i, . . . 324n, 425, . . . 324i, . . . 324n) according to feature a. of claim 8, and b. at least one switching circuit (301) according to any one of claims 8 to 10; and c) the switching units (324, . . . 324i, . . . 324n, 424... 424i, . . . 424n) are connected in series with one voltage source connection point of one switching circuit (301, 301i, 401i, 401n) connected to the output (OUT) of the next switching circuit (301i, 301n, 401, 401i) in the series connection line; Switching embodiment (311, 411).

12. A plasma system (100, 300, 400) comprising: a plasma load (12, 312, 412); a. a switching circuit (101, 301, 401) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, and / or b. A switching embodiment (311, 411) according to claim 11; and A plasma system (100, 300, 400) comprising:

13. 1. A method for generating a rectangular voltage output pulse (Vout) for a plasma processing load (12), comprising: a. generating a high voltage (HV) pulse signal at an output (OUT) of a switching circuit (10) using the series connection of a high side switching device (S1) and a low side switching device (S2) connected to a voltage source (V1); b. Providing said HV pulse signal to said output (OUT) through a primary winding of a transformer (TF1); c) Rectifying the current induced in the secondary winding of said transformer (TF1); A method comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein energy is fed back to the busbar (V1) during charging and discharging of a load capacitance connected to the output (OUT).

15. The vibration, a. an overvoltage protection unit, in particular an overvoltage protection diode (D01), and / or b. By providing a negative voltage protection unit, in particular a negative voltage protection diode (D02) connected to the output (OUT), In particular, this is further reduced by first and / or second damping resistors (R1, R2) connected in series with the protection units, in particular with the diodes (D01, D02), respectively.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14.

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