Factors of using Variable Air Capacitors Vs. Vacuum Capacitors in Automatic Impedance Matching Networks

There are always customers that want the best for less, and in today’s economic conditions, manufacturers are no exception. Since we introduced our newest line of RF Generators and RF Automatic Impedance Matching Networks that are used in Deposition Technologies, manufacturing customers have been discovering or returning to T&C Power Conversion as a source of top quality RF devices. We find it beneficial to keep an eye on such component advances and continue to provide customers the information and advantages of selecting a Variable Air Capacitor in lower RF power applications over the more expensive Vacuum Capacitors.

Typically, factors such as the availability of enclosure space for the mounting of the capacitor, RF power levels, dielectrics, and of course, overall heat, dictate the component requirements. But when lower RF power systems (120 Watt, 300 Watt and 600 Watts) are the ultimate customer choice for their system, then do we really need the extra cost for Vacuum Capacitors – typically three times as expensive? Of course, selecting Vacuum Capacitors in many high power RF matching network appli¬cations may be the only choice.
As we continue to create new technologies, the whole industry will continue to follow.

Check out the NEW T&C line of RF Plasma Generators and Automatic Impedance Matching Networks: www.tcpowerconversion.com. T&C also sponsors AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing at www.avs.org or AVS Connects at http://www.avsconnects.com

Mirror Image: Semiconductor Forecast for 2012

With a new year brings a new crop of performance forecasts across all industries, and the semiconductor sector is no different. Fresh off the 2011 recaps, it’s time to shake off December’s dust and nostalgia, and look ahead to what’s in store in the coming months. This PCmag.com article is just one of many seeking to predict how the industry will fare in 2012, and, as plasma generator manufacturers with an obvious interest in semiconductors, it’s one we’d be glad to see come to fruition.

A nice helping of optimism, though, wouldn’t be complete without getting the bad news first. We just don’t think the bad news is that bad. Regular readers of our blog will recall that 2011 showed a downward trend in semiconductor sales, with strong overall growth for the entire year. While predicting another year of growth in 2012, some analysts forecasted a similar trend, with a strong start to the year predicated by fresh budgets and optimistic economic reports. Instead, it appears that 2012 will run as a mirror image of 2011: lower sales toward the beginning, with a strong finish. Most importantly, though, is the outlook for another year of overall growth. With plasma generators and tuners available for all needs, contact T&C Power Conversion with any semiconductor or other questions!

Google Celebrates the Birth of A Father of the Semiconductor

We tweeted about this a bit last week, but such a major figure in our industry deserves his own blog post. You may have noticed that Google’s home page looked a bit different last week – the familiar logo replaced by a microprocessor emblazoned with Google’s name. This Doodle – one of many that Google posts from time to time to draw attention to a notable event – was in celebration of the 84^th anniversary of the birth of Robert Noyce, considered by many to be the brains behind semiconductors, microprocessors, and so many of the devices that are now a part of our everyday lives. In fact, Noyce was even known as “the mayor of Silicon Valley!”

Noyce died in 1990, and, as only living persons are eligible for Nobel prizes, is considered one of the great oversights of that committee. Among Noyce’s many accomplishments and distinctions, he co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1958 and, 10 years later, started Intel. Like so many great innovators, Noyce had an energetic restless streak – reading this biography brings to mind recent tributes to another visionary, Steve Jobs. Be sure to read the links from this piece for more information on Robert Noyce, one of the great minds of the semiconductor industry and a true forefather to the work that our partners do today.

Report Card, Part 2: More Grades for Semiconductors

Continuing the last post, today concludes our assessment of the semiconductor industry’s performance in 2011. As you’ll recall, these grades are based off of the Semiconductor Industry Association’s own goals set out earlier this year. So far, we’ve found lots of success. How did we fare in the rest of these areas? Let’s see:

Workforce: Grade: B-  The first major misstep here. Manufacturing in general has a surplus of skilled positions available without trained workers to fill them, and the semiconductor industry is no exception. It is a goal of any successful firm to hire the best, brightest, and most qualified, and the last part of that equation often falls short. While this grade is lower than other areas, it’s certainly not a failure. The association has recognized the problem and is actively working to train and retain superior engineers, both domestically and from abroad. They’ve even gone so far as to advocate for elementary, K-12 initiatives to reinvigorate scientific education in America.

Research: Grade: A   On our end, we’ve seen advances in RF technology and applications that will translate to more advanced, smaller, and faster semiconductors, so this area is a definite win for 2011. Ongoing research in nanotechnology, and an annual $40 million infusion from the Focus Center Research Program ensure that strong, cutting-edge research will thrive here in the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

Trade: Grade: A+   Similar to the successes in favorable export controls, the overall semiconductor trade at large is helped by the agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, and the success of U.S.-based manufacturers. The fact that the industry maintains strong voices, not only in the SIA but from around the world, supporting free and open trade, ensures that our goals are not lost among a sea of other factions and interests.

So, besides closing the glaring skills gap that plagues so many industries these days, semiconductor production has shown shining success for 2011. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, and we’re confident 2012 will prove to be even better!

Report Card: How Has the Industry Fared in 2011?

Most of us can probably remember that feeling, even if our school days are a distant memory: heading back, post-Thanksgiving, lingering memories of turkey and family giving way to an unavoidable reality. The term would soon draw to a close, meaning exams, and, of course, final grades. The eagerly anticipated (or sometimes, dreaded) report card. We at T&C Power Conversion thought that now would  be a good time to do some evaluating of our own, based on the Semiconductor Industry of America’s 2011 agenda, set out nearly a year ago. The SIA wanted to focus on 6 key issues: Tax, Export Controls, Environmental Regulations, Workforce, Research, and Trade. This week’s blog will take a look at the first three issues.

Tax: Grade: Incomplete  A major research and development tax credit expires at the end of this year, and the SIA hoped to lobby to extend, and perhaps even increase, that credit. China, a major semiconductor competitor, for example, has a permanent 150% R&D tax credit, while the U.S. provision is currently for 14% – 20%. While the issue still hasn’t been settled, and, predictably, has a host of other obstacles aside from the merits of the provision, what’s clear is that this is an important issue to keep the U.S. competitive in semiconductor manufacturing. If nothing else, support for the issue is wide-ranging, and the SIA is one voice in a very vocal chorus supporting the credit.

Export Controls: Grade: A+  Just recently, the U.S. passed free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, meeting a major and important goal of the SIA: keeping domestic manufacturers relevant and viable in the world market. A key from that source illustrates the importance of keeping export options simple and available for U.S. manufacturers: 75% of the world’s semiconductors are designed and manufactured here, while 82% of those firms’ sales are outside of the country.

Environmental Regulations: Grade: A  Semiconductors are in a unique and enviable position regarding this issue. Most manufacturers these days are trying to figure out ways to avoid environmental regulations, or changing their processes to comply. Since the semiconductor industry only accounts for 0.12% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, we’re able to focus on how we can help. Since semiconductors are a key component of nearly every electronic, manufacturing, and energy –drawing device, they can be harnessed to improve energy efficiency. Everywhere from car computer systems for fuel usage (to say nothing of electric cars), to solar and wind power, semiconductors are a driving force behind the continued green-ing of America.

A Closer Look at Thin Film Deposition

As part of our continuing series of primers on semiconductor production and application, today’s blog takes you inside one of the integral processes in creating semiconductors: thin film deposition. High-powered RF generators, like our AG 1010-2HF, use plasma (matter excited to a phase above that of a gas) to deposit a thin layer of silicon onto a substrate. This layer can be as thin as one nanometer – which is one one-hundreth (1/100,000) the width of a human hair, but are more often several micrometers thick. To stick with our preferred measurement comparison, that would be a relatively robust one-quarter width of a human hair, or thereabouts.

Amazingly, precision is not only preferable, even at these delicate sizes, but is actually achievable. As one might imagine, occasionally there is a hiccup or two. Ever microwave last night’s pork fried rice container and forget about the metal wire handle, only to frantically hit the “Stop” button as the sparks begin to fly? This is called arcing, and the same thing can occur in the plasma chamber, leading to irregular silicon (or other thin film) application. Found everywhere from semiconductors to mirrors to solar cells, thin films are at the base – often literally – of countless technologies found everywhere around us. Stay tuned to our blog for even more information on these processes.

Four Things You May Not Have Known About Semiconductors

For such a ubiquitous technology, semiconductors are probably not as well-known to most people as they could be. Stop the average person on the street, and they’ve probably heard the term a few times, but chances are that they couldn’t tell you much additional information beyond the name. Of course, in the RF and power conversion industries, semiconductors make up a huge portion of the business, so our colleagues and blog audience are more familiar with their ins and outs. There are always more fascinating facts to learn, though, as well as some applications that might present semiconductors in a different light to the layperson.

Read on for four things that you may not have known about semiconductors:

• It’s all in the name. The word “semiconductor” perfectly and literally describes the qualities that make semiconductors work: an conductivity between that of pure conductors, like aluminum, which allow electricity to pass through nearly unimpeded, and insulators, like plastic, which do not allow the flow of electrons. However, a minor modification must be made to the material to give it semiconductor properties, which leads to the next point. . .
• They’d probably be disqualified from the Olympics. It’s true – the process by which elements like silicon are modified to become semiconductors is called “doping.” In this case, though, it’s a good thing. Adding an impurity like boron allows electrical current to pass through the material in a predictable and repeatable manner, so engineers can harness this behavior for a host of applications.
• They are the building blocks for other common technologies. Specifically, diodes and transistors. Semiconductors can be engineered with varying energy gaps to create light emitting diodes, or LEDs, which use less energy than incandescent light sources and can be found everywhere from traffic signals to televisions.
• They’re a namesake for a well-known tech term. Silicon Valley, arguably the defining technological “moment” of the past forty years, received its nickname from the massive amount of research and engineering occurring using semiconductors, paving the way for innovators from Bill Gates to Steve Jobs.

Developments from October’s International Semiconductor Meeting

Electronic technologies often come and go, replaced by newer, faster, and more advanced products. The basis for most of these devices, though, has been around for nearly 100 years and shows no signs of being phased into obsolescence: the venerable semiconductor. Its continuing relevance and potential was demonstrated late last month at the 12th Annual Government and Authorities Meeting on Semiconductors (GAMS). Industry representatives came together to discuss and plan the direction of semiconductor manufacturing, regulation, and innovation for the next year and beyond.

Some of the major topics touched upon included:

• Curtailing semiconductor counterfeiting
• Environmental concerns, specifically greenhouse gases emitted during production
• Appropriate industry regulation by governments and the WTO

Finally, much time was spent on multi-component packages, which simply refers to semiconductors combined with other electrical products in one unit. Configurations like this one are becoming more and more common as performance requirements are pushed ever-higher. Meeting attendees agreed that a free trade agreement is beneficial and necessary to ensure access to all components and technologies to manufacturers and consumers. Stay tuned to our blog for more updates on the business and technology of semiconductors!

 

Easy as Possible: Drop-In Replacement RF Generators

More often than not, people tend to view parts replacement and maintenance – in any product or field, from cars to electronics – as a necessary chore. Not the most fun task in the world, but, of course, required for any number of reasons – preventative measures, safety reasons, or equipment failure. Over the years, we’ve found that one of our customers’ main questions when sourcing and purchasing replacement RF generators, amplifiers, or transformers, is, “How difficult will it be to install?” With our line of drop-in replacement RF generators like this one, we prefer to reframe that question as, “How easy will it be?”

Drop-in replacement equipment is just what it sounds like – rather than complicated disassembly and reassembly processes, the new RF generator can almost literally be “dropped in,” requiring a minimal amount of man-hours from technicians. This way, systems and equipment can be back up and running as soon as possible, meeting needs like, in the case of this particular generator, thin film plasma generation, etch, and deposition.

RF Generators and Spectroscopy in the Medical Industry

A technology called spectroscopy has recently become a part of some major advances in medicine. Spectroscopy involves using a tool or monitor – often called a spectroscope or spectrometer – to measure the type of energy radiated from an object or substance, as well as the energy’s intensity. All matter emits energy of some type, and spectroscopy is a method of quantifying and understanding that energy. To generate the power and frequencies needed for spectroscopy, RF generators are often used, and this press release details one application where T&C Power was called upon to provide this equipment.

Spectroscopy, in practice, is an exciting part of the medical industry. This article details how spectroscopy has been used to help cancer surgeons remove more malignant tissue during surgery. Joining a standard spectrometer with a common surgical tool called an ultrasonic aspirator, which is used to break up and suction unwanted biological tissue, doctors discovered that they were better able to detect the difference between healthy and cancerous tissue. This distinction is due to the different types of readings picked up by the mass spectrometer.

Breakthroughs like this one are, fortunately, common when technology is pushed and used in creative ways. Stay in contact with T&C Power for future updates, or please let us know any favorite stories of your own.