Abstract: A gate driver circuit comprises an auxiliary winding, a voltage summer, an auxiliary voltage bus, a gate driver integrated circuit (IC), and a controller. The auxiliary winding is positioned adjacently to the inductor and configured to inductively couple with the inductor. The voltage summer comprises a pair of diodes coupled to the auxiliary winding and a pair of capacitors coupled to the pair of diodes. The auxiliary voltage bus is configured to receive a summed voltage from the voltage summer based on a sum of voltages stored in the pair of capacitors. The gate driver IC is configured to receive a voltage from a positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus and to output a gate control signal to control a switching device based on the received voltage and based on a pulse signal generated by the controller.

Abstract: Electrical interconnect systems for a server power shelf are disclosed. An electrical interconnect system, which can include multiple connectors and a printed circuit board or other wiring, can allow a control circuit, such as a shelf management controller (SMC), to be accessible via a front or rear of a server power shelf. The control circuit can be communicatively coupled to the backplane of the server power shelf through the electrical interconnect system in either the front or rear position without having to reconfigure or redesign a server power shelf configuration. Further, the control circuit can be hot swappable from both the front-loading position and the rear loading position. Even further, when utilized in the front-loading position, neither the electrical interconnect system nor the control circuit occupy a slot of the server power shelf intended for a power supply or reduce a number of power supplies the shelf can include.

Abstract: A gate driver circuit comprises an auxiliary winding, a voltage summer, an auxiliary voltage bus, a gate driver integrated circuit (IC), and a controller. The auxiliary winding is positioned adjacently to the inductor and configured to inductively couple with the inductor. The voltage summer comprises a pair of diodes coupled to the auxiliary winding and a pair of capacitors coupled to the pair of diodes. The auxiliary voltage bus is configured to receive a summed voltage from the voltage summer based on a sum of voltages stored in the pair of capacitors. The gate driver IC is configured to receive a voltage from a positive rail of the auxiliary voltage bus and to output a gate control signal to control a switching device based on the received voltage and based on a pulse signal generated by the controller.

Abstract: A circuit for use in an LLC converter comprises a first primary side switch, a first secondary side switch assembly, a controller, and a resonant network. The controller is configured to measure, on the LLC primary side, a first voltage and determine a delay due to the first voltage. The controller is also configured to apply a first gate voltage to the first primary side switch to transition the first primary side switch from an off state to an on state and apply a second gate voltage to the first secondary side switch assembly to transition the first secondary side switch assembly from an off state to an on state. The application of the first and second gate voltages are separated by a synchronous rectifier delay based on the delay due to the first voltage, the first voltage comprising a voltage across the resonant capacitor.

Abstract: A circuit for use in an LLC converter comprises a first primary side switch, a first secondary side switch assembly, and a controller. The controller is configured to measure, on the primary side of the LLC converter, a first voltage and determine, based on the first voltage, a delay due to the first voltage. The controller is also configured to apply a first gate voltage to the first primary side switch to transition the first primary side switch from an off state to an on state and apply a second gate voltage to the first secondary side switch assembly to transition the first secondary side switch assembly from an off state to an on state. The application of the first gate voltage and the application of the second gate voltage are separated by a synchronous rectifier delay based at least on the delay due to the first voltage.

Abstract: A gate driver circuit comprises a gate-driver assembly, a transformer, first and second circuit voltage outputs, first and second switching devices, and a controller. The gate-driver assembly comprises a first and second voltage inputs and a first and second voltage outputs coupled to a primary winding of the transformer. The first and second switching devices are coupled to the secondary winding and respectively coupled to the first and second circuit voltage outputs. The controller is configured to cause the first circuit voltage output to supply a positive output voltage by supplying a higher first input voltage to the first voltage input than to the second voltage input and is also configured to cause the first circuit voltage output to supply a negative output voltage by supplying a higher second input voltage to the second voltage input than to the first voltage input.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and chucking a substrate to a substrate support are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function (or a modified periodic voltage function) to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a defined distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the defined distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and chucking a substrate to a substrate support are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function (or a modified periodic voltage function) to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a defined distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the defined distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.

Abstract: A system and method for single magnetron sputtering are described. One example includes a system having a power supply, a plasma chamber enclosing a substrate, an anode, and a target for depositing a thin film material on the substrate. This example also has a datastore with uncoated anode characterization data and an anode sputtering adjustment system including an anode analysis component to generate a first health value. The first health value is indicative of whether the anode is coated with a dielectric material. This example also has an anode power controller to receive the first health value and provide an anode-energy-control signal to the pulse controller of the pulsed DC power supply to adjust a second anode sputtering energy relative to a first anode sputtering energy to eject at least a portion of the dielectric material from the anode.

Abstract: A sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system has at least one dual magnetron pair having a first magnetron and a second magnetron, each magnetron configured to support target material. The system also has a DMS component having a DC power source in connection with switching components and voltage sensors. The DMS component is configured to independently control an application of power to each of the magnetrons, and to provide measurements of voltages at each of the magnetrons. The system also has one or more actuators configured to control the voltages at each of the magnetrons using the measurements provided by the DMS component. The DMS component and the one or more actuators are configured to balance the consumption of the target material by controlling the power and the voltage applied to each of the magnetrons, in response to the measurements of voltages at each of the magnetrons.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatuses for generating an ionizing electromagnetic field via a remote plasma source such that the field controllably extends through a field projection portion where the field attenuates, to a plasma processing portion where the field is attenuated but still strong enough to sustain a plasma. The plasma has a low voltage and RF energy and can be used for a variety of semiconductor and thin film processing operations including chamber cleaning via radical generation, etching, and deposition.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting the source impedance of a generator are disclosed. An exemplary method includes generating a first signal and applying the first signal to a first input of a combiner, generating a second signal and applying the second signal to a second input of said combiner, and combining the first and second signals with the combiner at an output of the combiner to produce power that is delivered to the plasma load. A controllable variable impedance is provided to an isolation port of the combiner, and the controllable variable impedance is adjusted to vary the source impedance of the generator.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a remote plasma source, a gas input manifold, and related methods of making and using. In some examples, a remote plasma source is provided with a plasma chamber, a gas input manifold, and an output region. The remote plasma source also has means for introducing a gas into the plasma chamber, the means for introducing configured to impart a radial velocity and a longitudinal velocity on the gas, relative to a longitudinal axis through the remote plasma source.