A High-Power Modular Radio Frequency Converter With Wide-Range Power Regulation Under ZVS Operation

Radio frequency converter (RFC) is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing, demanding high power levels, high efficiencies, and wide power regulation ranges. However, existing solutions face issues like discrete regulation ranges, low efficiencies at low power levels due to high reactive power and hard switching, or complex auxiliary circuits for balancing the power regulation range and efficiency. This paper proposes an efficient modular power amplifier architecture with multiple RFC modules using full-bridge class-D power amplifiers (PAs). Its individual modules' constant-current characteristics and system-level power transmission are analyzed. A hybrid modulation strategy combining module number adjustment and DC voltage control enables wide-range power regulation without auxiliary circuits. A 3-kW four-module RFC prototype tested at 400 kHz shows output power levels from 100 W to 2.8 kW with a peak efficiency of 93.7% and low current harmonics, validating its superior performance in practice.