Patent ID: 9613784
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: H01J

Claim:
1. A plasma system comprising: a direct current (DC) power supply for supplying electrical power to an anode and a cathode of a plasma chamber wherein the cathode serves as a target material, the electrical power being sufficient to generate a plasma within said plasma chamber; and a detection module configured to detect an occurrence of an arc in the plasma chamber by monitoring at least one of impedance and conductance of said plasma, the detection module is further configured to receive a sensed voltage signal from a voltage sensor circuit or a sensed current signal from a current sensor circuit, one of the voltage sensor circuit or current sensor circuit connected to communicate the respective sensed voltage signal or sensed current signal to a multiplier, the multiplier configured to communicate a trip signal to a comparator; wherein the detection module is further configured to compare by the comparator one of the sensed voltage signal or the sensed current signal to said trip signal, such that