A Plasma-Based Approach for High-Power Tunable Microwave Varactors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a plasma-based tunable microwave varactor that achieves significant capacitance tunability using a perpendicular magnetic field, with experimental validation of its high-frequency circuit model.

Contribution

It presents a novel plasma-based varactor with tunability in the hundreds of MHz range, verified through experimental high-frequency circuit modeling.

Findings

Capacitance tunability of 146 MHz achieved with magnetic flux control.

Capacitance variation from 4 pF to 41.72 pF under specific plasma conditions.

Experimental validation confirms the proposed high-frequency circuit model.

Abstract

This work presents a tunable varactor with tunability in the range of 100s of MHz and a capacitance delta of about 36 pF by employing a perpendicular magnetic field to a capacitively-coupled (CCP) RF plasma cell. A comprehensive high-frequency circuit model for the fabricated varactor is proposed and verified experimentally for a plasma electron number density of $2.95\times10^{17}m^{-3}$ which has a tunability of 146 MHz with a magnetic flux density ranging from 0 to 246 milliTesla. Under a pressure of 64 milliTorrs, the Argon ccp was found to have a variable capacitance ranging from 4 pF to 41.72 pF.