Advanced Energy—a leader in highly engineered, precision power conversion, measurement and control solutions—announced the GEMINI™ 5540A RF power meter. The new power meter delivers highly accurate in-line RF power measurement in a flexible and convenient integrated unit for applications requiring precision RF power control in semiconductor, communication, industrial and medical markets. As the leader in RF power solutions in the semiconductor industry, Advanced Energy continues to bring new capabilities for improving plasma power controls and performance of advanced etch and deposition processes.

Combining sensor and meter capability into a single, easy-to-use instrument, the GEMINI 5540A measures at frequencies from 0.2 to 200 MHz and powers from 3 to 5,000 W with two-sigma accuracy of ±0.5 percent + 0.5 W. This integrated instrument enables users to replace multiple instruments with a single meter for applications that require precise measurement and control of RF power.

"In demanding semiconductor processes such as high aspect ratio plasma etch, precise control and chamber-to-chamber matching of the RF system directly impact process performance," said Gerry Blumenstock, vice president, critical sensing and control products at Advanced Energy. "With the new GEMINI 5540A, OEMs can accurately calibrate the system and monitor RF power in real time, improving the fidelity and consistency of leading-edge plasma-based processes." 

The GEMINI 5540A incorporates a large, easy-to-read OLED digital display that simultaneously shows forward and reverse power, voltage standing wave ratio and frequency. It automatically senses frequency with no reconfiguration required for forward and reverse power measurements. The meter reduces calibration to every 12 months, compared to six months for conventional instruments. It operates with a 5 V, 500 mA input supplied via a standard USB 2.0 port using either an external battery or AC power outlet and off-the-shelf USB adapter. 

In addition to taking measurements directly, the meter can also be connected to a PC for collection, storage and audit of data using Advanced Energy's GEMINI Tools data visualization software.