Lam Research Corporation
EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING CAPACITOR FAILURES

Abstract:

Early warning systems and methods for determining capacitor failures are described. One of the methods includes controlling a motor to further control a variable capacitor that is coupled to the motor to facilitate achieving a hard stop position or a home position of the variable capacitor for multiple times. Each time the motor is controlled to facilitate achieving the home position or the hard stop position, a number of steps that are taken by the motor are recorded. The numbers of steps are compared with each other to determine whether the variable capacitor has failed.