Latest Blog Posts

Reflected power is a fundamental concept in RF systems, yet it remains widely misunderstood. The term often evokes images of wasted energy and inefficient systems, but that is not the full, accurate picture. This blog explores forward and reflected power, clarifies common misconceptions, and discusses their relevance the demands of RF plasma power in semiconductor manufacturing.

Many industrial manufacturing processes require monitoring and control of temperature at key points in the operation to ensure the highest product quality, maximum throughput and optimized yield. To meet these demands, innovations are driving new precise and reliable thermal measurement solutions. Traditional technologies such as thermocouples and thermistors are giving way to more sophisticated optical techniques that deliver improved reliability and repeatability needed by modern thermal processes. This has led to the growing use of fiber optic sensors that are immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) common in industrial environments, and non-contact pyrometers that measure precise thermal radiation.

Power system designers today face intense pressure to raise conversion efficiency and save energy as they strive to deliver sustainably improved performance. One key to reaching greater efficiency is switched-mode power conversion.