Industries Served
Powering Critical Systems Across Industries
Vacuum electronic devices are at the heart of some of the world's most critical systems — from cancer treatment machines to radar systems to fusion research. PartnerTubes serves the industries that depend on them.
Medical & Healthcare
Medical Linear Accelerators & Therapeutic Equipment
Radiation therapy for cancer treatment depends on high-power magnetrons and klystrons in medical linear accelerators (linacs). These devices demand the highest levels of reliability, performance consistency, and traceability — because patient safety depends on it.
PartnerTubes supplies:
- S-band and X-band magnetrons for Varian, Elekta, Siemens, and Accuray linacs
- Klystrons for high-energy linac platforms
- Excimer laser parts for ophthalmic surgery systems (LASIK, PRK)
- XeCl laser components for dermatological phototherapy
- Supporting documentation: traceability, test data, CoC
Defense & Military
Radar, Electronic Warfare & Defense Electronics
Military and defense systems rely on vacuum tubes because solid-state alternatives cannot match their EMP hardness, peak power, and operational resilience in contested environments. Radar systems, electronic warfare, and communication transmitters continue to use high-power magnetrons, klystrons, and TWTs.
PartnerTubes supplies:
- Pulse magnetrons for surveillance and target acquisition radar
- Klystrons for high-power pulsed radar transmitters
- TWTs for electronic warfare and jamming systems
- Thyratrons for radar pulse modulator switches
- RF power grid tubes for HF/VHF communication transmitters
Relevant Products
- Pulse magnetrons (radar)
- Klystrons & TWTs (radar, EW)
- RF power grid tubes (comms)
- Thyratrons (modulator switches)
⚠️ Some defense-related tubes require export licenses. PartnerTubes complies with all EU and international export regulations.
Broadcast & Communications
FM Radio, TV Broadcast & Communications Transmitters
High-power FM and TV broadcast transmitters continue to rely on ceramic tetrodes and triodes for output powers above 40–50 kW. A single power grid tube can replace dozens of solid-state modules with lower complexity and often lower total cost.
- Ceramic tetrodes for FM transmitters (87.5–108 MHz)
- UHF/VHF tubes for digital TV transmitters
- HF transmitter triodes for international shortwave broadcast
- RF power grid tubes for military and government HF comms
Relevant Products
Industrial Manufacturing
RF Heating, Welding & Industrial Microwave Processing
Industrial RF and microwave processing is one of the largest application areas for vacuum electronic devices. CW magnetrons for microwave heating, tetrodes for RF dielectric heating, and vacuum capacitors for RF matching networks are all critical components in industrial production lines.
- CW magnetrons for food processing, drying, rubber vulcanizing
- Tetrodes for dielectric heating (13.56 / 27.12 MHz ISM)
- Ignitrons and thyratrons for resistance welding controls
- Vacuum capacitors for RF matching in heating equipment
- CO₂ laser tubes for industrial cutting and marking
Scientific Research
Particle Accelerators, Fusion Research & Laboratories
The world's leading research facilities — CERN, Fermilab, ITER, and national laboratories worldwide — depend on klystrons, gyrotrons, and specialized vacuum devices to accelerate particles and heat plasma. These are the most demanding applications for vacuum tube technology.
- High-power klystrons for particle accelerator RF stations
- Gyrotrons for electron cyclotron heating in tokamaks (ITER, JET, W7-X)
- Vacuum capacitors for accelerator cavity tuning
- Thyratrons for pulsed-power trigger systems
- CW magnetrons and specialized tubes for research instruments
Relevant Products
Semiconductor Manufacturing
Plasma Etch, CVD & Photolithography
Semiconductor manufacturing at every node uses RF and microwave power extensively: excimer lasers for photolithography, magnetron-sputtering for deposition, and high-power RF generators with vacuum capacitor matching for plasma etch and CVD chambers.
- ArF (193 nm) excimer laser components for advanced lithography
- KrF (248 nm) excimer components for legacy node lithography
- Variable vacuum capacitors for plasma etch AMUs
- Thyratrons for excimer laser discharge switching
Alternative Energy & Marine
Wind, Solar & Marine Applications
Emerging applications in alternative energy — particularly gyrotrons for plasma heating in fusion power research — as well as marine radar and navigation systems, continue to be important markets for vacuum electronic devices.
- Marine X-band magnetrons for ship navigation radar
- Gyrotrons for fusion energy experimental reactors
- RF components for wind turbine control and monitoring systems
- Industrial tubes for tidal and wave energy processing equipment