Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for reducing instabilities in a plasma-based processing system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes applying power to a plasma with a power amplifier; determining whether low frequency instability oscillations are present or high frequency instability oscillations are present in the plasma; and altering, based upon whether high or low frequency instability oscillations are present, an impedance of a load that is experienced by the power amplifier, the load experienced by the power amplifier including at least an impedance of the plasma.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tuning the operational frequency of an electrical generator coupled to a time-varying load is described. One illustrative embodiment rapidly calculates an error (reflection coefficient magnitude) at the current operational frequency of the electrical generator; adjusts the frequency of the electrical generator by an initial step size so; rapidly calculates a second error; and if the magnitude of the second error is smaller than the magnitude of the first error, then the step size is increased and the frequency is adjusted by the increased step size.

Abstract: A power generator system and apparatus that uses a frequency synthesizer in conjunction with an oscillator to lock both frequency of a drive signal with a reference signal. The oscillator center frequency is different from the nominal generator frequency, and as a consequence a variety of reference frequencies may be supported. By using a frequency synthesizer, the oscillator frequency can be locked onto a frequency that is a ratio of the reference frequency. Then, the frequency synthesizer may generate a drive signal that is closely matched to the reference frequency.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for reducing instabilities in a plasma-based processing system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes applying power to a plasma with a power amplifier; determining whether low frequency instability oscillations are present or high frequency instability oscillations are present in the plasma; and altering, based upon whether high or low frequency instability oscillations are present, an impedance of a load that is experienced by the power amplifier, the load experienced by the power amplifier including at least an impedance of the plasma.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring RF power is described. In one embodiment the system samples RF power that is generated by an RF generator to obtain RF signals that include information indicative of electrical characteristics at a plurality of particular frequencies that fall within a frequency range. The RF signals are digitized to obtain a stream of digital RF signals that include information indicative of electrical characteristics at the plurality of particular frequencies, and the information indicative of electrical characteristics is successively transformed, for each of the plurality of particular frequencies, from a time domain into a frequency domain.

Abstract: A power generator system and apparatus that uses a frequency synthesizer in conjunction with an oscillator to lock both frequency of a drive signal with a reference signal. The oscillator center frequency is different from the nominal generator frequency, and as a consequence a variety of reference frequencies may be supported. By using a frequency synthesizer, the oscillator frequency can be locked onto a frequency that is a ratio of the reference frequency. Then, the frequency synthesizer may generate a drive signal that is closely matched to the reference frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tuning the operational frequency of an electrical generator coupled to a time-varying load is described. One illustrative embodiment rapidly calculates an error (reflection coefficient magnitude) at the current operational frequency of the electrical generator; adjusts the frequency of the electrical generator by an initial step size so; rapidly calculates a second error; and if the magnitude of the second error is smaller than the magnitude of the first error, then the step size is increased and the frequency is adjusted by the increased step size.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring RF power is described. In one embodiment the system samples RF power that is generated by an RF generator to obtain RF signals that include information indicative of electrical characteristics at a plurality of particular frequencies that fall within a frequency range. The RF signals are digitized to obtain a stream of digital RF signals that include information indicative of electrical characteristics at the plurality of particular frequencies, and the information indicative of electrical characteristics is successively transformed, for each of the plurality of particular frequencies, from a time domain into a frequency domain.