ARC detection approach

Abstract

An apparatus and technique are provided for generating a plasma using a power supply circuit and arc detection arrangement. The power supply circuit has a cathode enclosed in a chamber, and is adapted to generate a power-related parameter. The arc detection arrangement is communicatively coupled to the power supply circuit and adapted to assess the severity of arcing in the chamber by comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold. According to various implementations, arc occurrences, arcing duration, intensity and/or energy are measured responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to the at least one threshold. According to further implementations, the above-mentioned measured quantities are accumulated and/or further processed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A plasma generation apparatus, comprising: 
 a power supply circuit having a cathode enclosed in a chamber, and adapted to generate a power-related parameter; and    an arc detection arrangement communicatively coupled to the power supply circuit and adapted to assess the severity of arcing in the chamber by comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to measure arcing duration responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to the at least one threshold.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to measure cumulative arcing duration responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to measure arcing intensity responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to measure arcing duration responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to measure arcing energy responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to measure cumulative arcing energy responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to assess the severity of arcing as a function of a product of arcing intensity and arcing duration.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is further adapted to assess the severity of arcing as a function of a sum of products of arcing intensity and arcing duration.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one threshold is programmable via a logic arrangement coupled to the arc detection arrangement.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one threshold is programmable responsive to a non-arcing value of the power-related parameter.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the arc detection arrangement is adapted to digitize the power-related parameter before comparing to the at least one threshold.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a logic arrangement communicatively coupled to the arc detection arrangement, and adapted to process digital information representative of arcing transmitted from the arc detection arrangement.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the logic arrangement is a programmable logic controller.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for assess arcing severity in a plasma generation chamber, comprising: 
 means for determining arc intensity by comparing a power-related parameter to at least one arc intensity threshold;    means for timing an arc duration responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to the at least one arc intensity threshold;    means for computing arc energy as a function of arc intensity and arc duration; and    means for adding the arc energy to an accumulated arcing energy.