Peter Matthews

Peter Matthews
Peter Matthews is Director of Technical Marketing Manager at Knowles Precision Devices. As a division of Knowles Corporation, Knowles Precision Devices (KPD) focuses on production of a wide variety of highly engineered capacitors and microwave to millimeter-wave components for use in critical applications in military, medical, electric vehicle, and 5G market segments. Peter has over 20 years of experience in technology sales, marketing, and product management.

Recent Posts

What Are Bias Filter and Self-Bias Networks?

Posted by Peter Matthews on Nov 8, 2023 8:15:00 AM

Bias filter networks and self-bias networks are two types of biasing components developed by Knowles Precision Devices for use in high-frequency microwave and RF applications.

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Topics: Filtering

Power Divider Basics

Posted by Peter Matthews on Oct 25, 2023 8:15:00 AM

Radio frequency (RF) power dividers are designed to split an incoming signal into multiple outputs such that there’s a portion of the original signal’s power in each output. Given their critical function, power dividers play a particularly important role in antenna systems, telecommunications, and signal processing.

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Topics: Capacitor, Military and Aerospace, High Reliability

High Q Capacitors – Roles and Specifications

Posted by Peter Matthews on Sep 6, 2023 8:15:00 AM

Q factor, or quality factor, is an electrical term used to describe the ratio of energy stored to energy dissipated in a capacitor at a certain frequency (you can learn more about the different components of Q factor and ways to define it here). In other words, Q factor tells us how good a capacitor is at its job at a certain frequency. A high Q value indicates low energy loss during operation, making these capacitors a good fit for applications requiring low power dissipation and high stability.  

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Topics: Capacitor

The Many Jobs of a Capacitor in RF and Microwave

Posted by Peter Matthews on Aug 9, 2023 8:00:00 AM

Radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications involve transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals at high frequencies. While these terms are often used interchangeably, RF means AC signals at 3 kHz to 300 GHz. For microwave, it’s more like 300 MHz to 300 GHz. Capacitors play a central role in these applications because they are concerned with capacitance, naturally, and impedance (i.e., resistance), which vary with frequency. Functionally, these passive electronic components store energy in an electric field. 

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Topics: Capacitor

Heterogeneous Integration for Electronics Design in RF and Microwave

Posted by Peter Matthews on Jul 12, 2023 8:30:00 AM

Heterogeneous integration (HI) refers to the process of combining a set of electronic components with different functions and material compositions into a single, compact system. Particularly in radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications, HI-based designs accommodate higher functional density and better performance when implemented with application-specific requirements in mind. Integrated Passive Devices (IPDs), like conductors, resistors, vias, traces, and bridges, play a significant role in HI because they’re largely responsible for the resulting performance optimization when components combine.

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Topics: Build to Print

Duplex, Duplexer, Diplexer?

Posted by Peter Matthews on Jul 5, 2023 6:00:00 AM

One of the things all technical disciplines excel at is creating terminology that can trip up those who are not accustomed to speaking the language every day. Take the title of this article for example. These three words sound similar and are definitely inter-related, but they are not inter-changeable.

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Topics: RF and Microwave

Leveraging Thin Film on Ceramic Substrates for Interconnects and Interposers

Posted by Peter Matthews on Jun 28, 2023 8:15:00 AM

Innovation in advanced packaging was driven, in part, by advancements in interposer design and construction. Interposers are electronic components designed to sit within a package and connect different circuits and components via interconnects. Thin film interconnects are standard in high-frequency components and subsystems where transmission line widths are small (i.e., .005” and under) to improve overall system performance. They also support high-power applications where thermal conductivity is more of a concern and certain materials like beryllium oxide and aluminum nitride are more commonly used. 

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Topics: Build to Print

Thin Film Integrated Passive Devices at Knowles Precision Devices

Posted by Peter Matthews on Jun 7, 2023 8:15:00 AM

Resistors, inductors, and capacitors are the most common passive electronic components; they’ve long been available at different price points with different capabilities. Heightening expectations for performance in today’s advanced electronics environment mean we need equally advanced processes for creating components.

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Topics: Build to Print

Build-to-Print Services for Thin Film Circuit Design and Construction

Posted by Peter Matthews on May 17, 2023 8:15:00 AM

As the name implies, “thin film” is a precisely deposited layer of material used to fabricate electronic components. “Thin” can mean as little as a fraction of a nanometer thick. Circuits constructed with thin film are used in a wide range of electrical and optical applications, but they are most advantageous when high-frequency performance, tight tolerances, thermal conductivity, and long-term reliability are paramount concerns. Particularly in the high-frequency microwave space, small size, line definition, and repeatable construction offer significant performance benefits.

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Topics: Build to Print

RF Filter Terminology and Specifications

Posted by Peter Matthews on Apr 19, 2023 9:15:00 AM

To choose the right filter for your application, you'll need to evaluate filter type, identify the specific filter technology that best suits your application, and ensure the filter meets your required specifications. This post is designed to serve as a quick reference on the common terms that are used to discuss filter type, technology, and specifications.

To start, there are four key Filter behaviors that sort them into types: Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass, and Band Stop.

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Topics: RF and Microwave

Insights Into Precision Passive Devices

Knowles Precision Devices is a premier global source for Capacitors, RF Filters, EMI Filters, Resonators, non-magnetic components and advanced dielectric materials. An umbrella for the brands of Compex, DLI, Johanson MFG, Novacap, Syfer and Voltronics, Knowles Precision Devices serves a variety of markets including military, aerospace/avionics, medical equipment, implantable devices, EMI and connector filtering, oil exploration, instrumentation, industrial electronics, automotive, telecoms and data networks.

This Blog will provide insights into:

  • Filters for 5G and mmWave
  • Capacitors for High Voltage
  • Capacitors for High Reliability

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