Radio frequency power coupler for a power converter for an industrial process arrangement

Abstract

An RF power coupler (1) is used to couple a plurality of RF input signals into a single RF output signal to deliver RF power to an industrial process apparatus (1), preferably a plasma process apparatus, a gas laser excitation or heating apparatus, wherein the RF power coupler (1) comprises: a. A plurality of RF input terminals (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), b. An RF output terminal (17) having a predetermined RF output impedance (88), c. Impedance matching line (20), d. A coupling unit (19) having a predetermined output impedance (81), wherein the coupling unit (19) comprises: i. Common star point (10), ii. Connections of each of these RF input terminals, iii. Each of the following connecting lines (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) extends from each of the connections at the RF input terminals to the common star point (10), wherein each of the connecting lines has a connecting line reactance (21), and ●The impedance matching line (20) is connected to the star point (10) of the coupling unit (19) and extends from the coupling unit (19) to the RF output terminal (17), and has a predetermined length and predetermined impedance between the two ends. ●The predetermined length differs from the length of / 4 by a difference length (22). ●The predetermined impedance is reduced by a difference impedance (26) compared to the calculated impedance. ●The difference length (22) and the difference impedance (26) each depend on the reactance generated by the reactance of the connecting lines. An RF power coupler (1) for coupling a plurality of RF input signals to one RF output signal for delivering RF power to an industrial process arrangement (1), preferably a plasma process arrangement, gas laser excitation or heating arrangement, wherein the RF power coupler (1) comprises: a. aplurality of RF inputs (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), b. an RF output (17) with a predetermined RF output impedance (88), c. an impedance matching line (20), d. a coupling unit (19) with a predetermined coupling unit output impedance (81), wherein the coupling unit (19) comprises: i. a common star point (10), ii. a connection for each of the RF inputs, iii. a connecting line (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) in each case, extending from each of the connections of the RF inputs to the common star point (10), wherein the connecting lines each have a connecting line reactance (21), and ● wherein the impedance matching line (20) is connected to the star point (10) of the coupling unit (19) and extends from the coupling unit (19) to the RF output (17) and has a predetermined length and a predetermined impedance between these two ends, ● wherein the predetermined length differs by a difference length (22) of a / 4 length, ● wherein the predetermined impedance decreases by a difference impedance (26) from a calculated impedance, ● wherein the difference length (22) and the difference impedance (26) are each dependent on the reactance resulting from the connecting line reactances.

Images