EHT Semi today announced a new peer-reviewed publication demonstrating how its Orion™ Direct RF™ system eliminates the need for traditional RF matching networks, which enables faster response, improved power coupling, and access to entirely new pulsed plasma regimes.

Conventional RF systems rely on matching networks that struggle to keep pace with rapidly changing plasma conditions, particularly during ignition and short-pulse operation. Orion’s matchless architecture removes this limitation by directly coupling RF power into the plasma in real time.

Published in Plasma Sources Science and Technology in collaboration with North Carolina State University and Samsung Electronics, the study provides experimental validation of this approach using a prototype Orion system.

The researchers demonstrated:

• Faster electron density rise times, enabling rapid plasma ignition
• Higher peak power densities at low average power, improving efficiency
• Ultra-low duty cycle operation (<0.1%), unlocking new plasma regimes

By eliminating the matching network, Orion maintains efficient power delivery even under highly dynamic conditions, where conventional systems experience reflected power and instability.

These capabilities enable:

• Reduced substrate damage for advanced nodes
• Improved ion energy control and uniformity
• Faster, more efficient process cycles

“This work highlights the advantages of removing a long-standing constraint in RF power delivery,” said Dr. Timothy Ziemba, President and CEO at EHT Semi. “Orion enables a level of plasma control and responsiveness that conventional matched systems cannot achieve.”

Read the full paper on IOP Publishing and learn more about Orion™ Direct RF™.