No-Load Control Method of LLC Resonant Converter for Plasma Sputtering Process Using Full-Bridge Structure

This paper describes a no-load control method of an LLC resonant converter for a plasma sputtering process using a full-bridge structure. Initially, the plasma sputtering process needs to operate under a no-load condition to produce a plasma. The operation characteristics of an LLC resonant converter obtained by the conventional analysis are different from the actual no-load condition. Therefore, the no-load characteristics of an LLC resonant converter must be analyzed and the control method of the no-load condition must be studied. In this paper, the no-load characteristic of an LLC resonant converter was analyzed considering the parasitic component. It also described a method for controlling an LLC resonant converter via the full-bridge structure in a no-load condition. The analysis and control operation were confirmed through simulation and experiment.