🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <15340.2b4a1345@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu> 
edharris@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu writes:
>I'd like to use a small microwave oven ( will a small vacuum chamber inside) 
>to generate reactive plasmas ( O2 etc) for cleaning and etching in our lab. 
>The idea sort of works, but even the smallest ovens  (400 Watts or so) 
>generate so much heat that they tend to burn samples more than etch them...
>Does anyone know how to lower the power output of the magnatron, or is it
>possible at all? I'd like to cut the power to 50W or so...

Reducing the power of a home microwave oven is not practical.  These things are
designed to operate full on or full off.  Their power supplies usually use
special transformers with high leakage reactance to limit the current so if
you change the tube operating conditions much, you will have to come up with a
new power supply too.  Magnetrons designed to operate over wide power ranges
usually use external electromagnets so you can adjust the field as the voltages
are varied.  A company in California, Gerling Labs (recently sold to another
company but I cannot remember the name), makes a nice variable power microwave
system with waveguide output, directional power sensors, etc. rated for a few
watts to 3 KW.  It is probably overkill for your application. Finding Reike and
Hartree diagrams for the tubes used in home ovens will be necessary if you
plan to modify the power supply in your home-style oven.

A simple suggestion would be to place a few beakers of water in your oven
along with your etch cell.  Much of the energy would go into heating the water.

					Barry
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|  ___  ________  |    Dr. Barry L. Ornitz          WA4VZQ
| |  / /        | |    Eastman Chemical Company
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