Project

MWPlasma

Microwave semiconductor driven plasma sources of high power ranges for plasma generation.

Funding code

02P18K551

Project sponsor

Project Sponsor Karlsruhe – Production, Services and Work (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – KIT)

Program

SME Innovative (Federal Ministry of Education and Research)

Duration

01.05.2019 – 31.01.2022

Funding RF Frontend

383,981.05€

Stable resonance control for high-power plasma sources

For industrial microwave generation—especially at high power—magnetron tubes are still widely used, typically around 915 MHz. Due to manufacturing tolerances, their operating frequency can vary by several tens of megahertz. At the same time, tolerances in the mechanical components of plasma sources can shift the resonance frequency of the overall system. Depending on the application, the plasma itself can also influence the resonance behavior.

Microwave combiner developed for the plasma reactor.

Solid-state flexibility and reduced risk for high-value processes

While frequency drift is often negligible in industrial microwave heating, it becomes critical when exciting microwave plasma sources that rely on resonant structures. Traditionally, tuning elements compensate for these deviations. Solid-state microwave generators, however, offer the advantage of adjusting the excitation frequency dynamically.

High-power magnetrons typically reach service lives around 10,000 hours, with slight frequency drift over time. For high-value processes such as diamond film deposition (often running 200–300 hours per process), longer lifetimes and stable operation are essential—since a failure during production can quickly cause losses in the range of €100,000.