Patent ID: 8786263

Claim:
Plasma process power circuitry configured to transfer electrical energy stored in a load or in one or more leads for connecting a power supply unit with the load, the circuitry comprising: a first electrical nonlinear device connected in series with an energy storing device, wherein the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device are configured to transfer energy from the leads or the load into the energy storing device and to prevent an energy transfer from the energy storing device into the leads or the load; a switch in operative connection with at least one of the leads for enabling/interrupting power from the power supply unit to the load, the switch being connected in parallel with the series connection of the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device; a pre-charging circuit in operative connection with the energy storing device, the pre-charging circuit configured to charge the energy storing device to a pre-determined energy level while power to the load from the power supply unit is enabled and to maintain the pre-determined energy level on the energy storing device while the plasma process power circuitry is not detecting a plasma arc; and a control unit coupled to the switch and configured to detect a plasma arc and toggle the switch connected in parallel with the series connection of the first electrical nonlinear device and the energy storing device to interrupt power from the power supply unit to the load in response to detecting the arc, thereby transferring residual energy from the load or the leads into the energy storing device against the pre-determined energy level of the energy storing device.