Plasma Ignition Voltage Control for Arc Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of electrical discharges or arcs in plasma chambers during thin film creation leads to non-uniformities in the coating, reducing the quality of the processed film due to the use of cathodes and anodes in creating electric potential.
Innovation Solution
A plasma processing system comprising a plasma chamber, a power generator, a feedback component, and a controller that controls the power signal by applying a first voltage and power level, reducing power, increasing voltage until a threshold is reached, and modulating it back to the initial level to prevent arcing and maintain uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a power generator creates an electric potential between cathode and anode to ignite plasma, then plasma formation is achieved, but electrical discharges or arcs occur creating non-uniformities in the thin film coating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the cathode and anode components from the plasma generation system. Instead of using traditional electrode-based plasma ignition, the system employs a power generator that applies controlled voltage directly to the chamber wall, eliminating the sources of arcing while maintaining plasma formation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The chamber wall serves as an intermediary element between the power generator and the processing gas. By applying voltage to the chamber wall rather than using direct electrode contact, the system achieves plasma ignition without the harmful electrical discharges that occur at traditional cathode-anode interfaces
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
This approach effectively reduces arcing and ensures a more uniform thin film coating by controlling the power and voltage application in a plasma chamber, enhancing the quality of the processed film.
Implementation Method 1
a power generator often creates an electric potential between a cathode and anode within the plasma chamber. This causes ignition of a processing gas into the plasma
Implementation Method 2
One feedback component comprises (i) at least one input adapted to receive at least one first signal having a first signal level dependent upon the power signal
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment comprises a plasma processing system having a plasma chamber, a generator, a feedback component, and a controller. The feedback component is adapted to receive at least one first signal having a level dependent upon the power signal supplied from the generator to the chamber. A feedback output is adapted to emit a second signal to the controller, which is adapted to supply a third signal to the power generator. The third signal is configured to control the power generator to supply the power signal at a power level for a particular processing application. The power generator is further controlled by the controller to one of reduce and remove power from the plasma processing chamber and subsequently increase the voltage level until the power level reaches a threshold level. The power generator is further controlled to subsequently modulate the voltage until the voltage returns to a first voltage level.