Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed herein which is capable of administering DIAPULSE® treatments, and also capable of applying electromagnetic energy to a treatment area for modified DIAPULSE treatments and for new applications, both thermal and non-thermal, including research. The apparatus provides: more precise control of treatment parameters, including burst repetition rate, power level, and treatment duration, using a minimal number of hardware components; dynamic adjustment of power radiated to a treatment area to a selected power level; the capability of varying treatment parameters in software beyond the variations possible in the earlier DIAPULSE® apparatus; the automatic creation and updating of a patient file which logs treatment parameters and other information, and the ability to access, upload and down load the patient file and information therein; and the reduction of power consumption and power dissipation by and in the improved apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for dynamically matching a radio-frequency source for semiconductor processing to a load, and particularly adapted for plasma sputtering and etching processes, comprises an admittance matching network utilizing magnetically saturable inductors. A dc bias signal is provided to optimize the operating point of the saturable reactor with respect to the hysteresis characteristic of the core material. A control signal characterized by a phase error and a magnitude derived from the signal reflected from the load is applied to control the magnetizing current flowing through the inductors. The invention discloses a structure for the inductors which provides efficient coupling of the control current, while inherently rejecting rf currents reflected back from the load to the inductor current source.