Degassed Insulating Liquid Cooling for Pulsed Power Electronics

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Solution Overview

Problem

High power, high voltage pulsed power supplies for plasma processing face challenges in maintaining small dimensions while ensuring reliable insulation and cooling due to high voltage and current rise slopes, leading to unpredictable failures from gas bubble formation in cooling liquids.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with an enclosed electrically insulating heat transfer liquid that is degassed before operation, using a degassing unit with a porous membrane and vacuum source to prevent gas contact, and a liquid guiding system for parallel cooling to maintain component temperature uniformity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If direct contact cooling with fluorinated liquids is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to random failures from gas bubble formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidoperational reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling liquid is degassed before being introduced into the housing to remove dissolved gases that would form bubbles during operation. This preliminary action prevents the reliability issues caused by gas bubble formation while maintaining the excellent heat transfer properties of fluorinated liquids

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The housing is filled with an inert gas atmosphere (such as nitrogen or dry air with controlled humidity) to prevent gas exchange between the cooling liquid and external environment. This creates a stable, bubble-free environment that maintains both heat transfer efficiency and operational reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

2Volume of moving object

If electrical components are packed close together to reduce dimensions, then device size is reduced, but insulation performance deteriorates due to high voltage requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice dimensionsVSAvoidinsulation performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fluorinated cooling liquid serves as an intermediary medium that provides both thermal coupling between components and electrical insulation between high-voltage elements. This dual-function medium enables close component packing while maintaining adequate insulation performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a composite approach combining the electrical insulation properties of fluorinated liquids with the thermal conductivity needed for cooling. This composite solution allows compact component arrangement while meeting both insulation and cooling requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of operation

If cooling liquid is exposed to extraneous gas during operation, then gas exchange occurs, but bubble formation increases leading to failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveliquid circulationVSAvoidfailure rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is sealed and filled with an inert gas atmosphere that prevents gas exchange with the cooling liquid. This eliminates bubble formation from gas dissolution while allowing continuous liquid circulation for cooling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

Solution Approach 2:

Dissolved gases are extracted from the cooling liquid through degassing before it enters the housing. This removal of harmful gases prevents bubble formation during operation while maintaining effective heat transfer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enhances reliability and stability by reducing bubble formation and electrostatic discharges, ensuring effective heat transfer and voltage balancing in high power, high voltage pulsed power supplies.

Implementation Method 1

an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid, filled within the container and having direct contact to the plurality of electrical components and configured to transport heat away from the plurality of electrical components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid is degassed before a start of operation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDegassing: Vacuum Distillation

Data Source

PatentUS20260075781A1Electronic device and method of cooling thereof

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 TRUMPF HUETTINGER SP ZOO

AI summary

An electronic device for a high power, high voltage pulsed power supply for biasing a substrate in a plasma process, the electronic device including a plurality of electrical components configured to generate heat when the device is in use, a container, wherein at least a part of the plurality of electrical components are placed in the container, and an electrically insulating heat transfer liquid, filled within the container and having direct contact to the plurality of electrical components and configured to transport heat away from the plurality of electrical components. The electrically insulating heat transfer liquid is enclosed in the container so that the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid has no contact with extraneous gas outside the container in operation of the electronic device and wherein the electrically insulating heat transfer liquid is degassed before a start of operation.