US3781133A - Sputter ion pumps - Google Patents

Sputter ion pumps Download PDF

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Publication number
US3781133A
US3781133A US00231828A US3781133DA US3781133A US 3781133 A US3781133 A US 3781133A US 00231828 A US00231828 A US 00231828A US 3781133D A US3781133D A US 3781133DA US 3781133 A US3781133 A US 3781133A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
discharge
sputtering
ion pumps
sputter ion
vapor pressure
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00231828A
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English (en)
Inventor
L Hall
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VEECO INSTRUMENTS ACQUISITION CORP
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Veeco Instruments Inc
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Assigned to CHEMICAL BANK, AS AGENT reassignment CHEMICAL BANK, AS AGENT SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: VEECO INSTRUMENT ACQUISTION CORP.
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J41/00—Discharge tubes for measuring pressure of introduced gas or for detecting presence of gas; Discharge tubes for evacuation by diffusion of ions
    • H01J41/12—Discharge tubes for evacuating by diffusion of ions, e.g. ion pumps, getter ion pumps
    • H01J41/18—Discharge tubes for evacuating by diffusion of ions, e.g. ion pumps, getter ion pumps with ionisation by means of cold cathodes
    • H01J41/20—Discharge tubes for evacuating by diffusion of ions, e.g. ion pumps, getter ion pumps with ionisation by means of cold cathodes using gettering substances

Definitions

  • the ionized molecules strike the electrode surface causing small amounts of reactive material to become dislodged or sputtered with the sputtered material forming a thin film on a gettering surface whereby the gas molecules are captured to provide the pumping mechanism.
  • Detailed discussions of the phenomena will be found in the extensive literature on the subject.
  • ion pumps have their performance dependent on the rate of ionization. At high vacua, the number of molecules available for ionization is relatively small, thus limiting pump performance.
  • a relatively high vapor pressure material is provided in the pump to provide a supply of vapor phase atoms for ionization. More particularly, the sputtering rate is increased by placing a metal having a relatively high vapor pressure in the region of the pump discharge. The high vapor pressure material'is heated by the discharge to provide metallic atoms in the vapor phase. These additional atoms are ionized and accelerated to the sputtering electrode(s) to provide additional sputtering and thereby increasing the pumping speed.
  • the pump is provided with an envelope 10 formed with an inlet 11 to a pump chamber 13 wherein the pumping elements are housed.
  • the pumping elements conventionally include a cellular anode 15 formed of a plurality of axially aligned anode cells 14, and a sputtering electrode 16 disposed to one side of the anode l5.
  • Electrode 16, which is constructed of a reactive gettering material such as titanium, is illustratively in the form of a flat plate extending substantially parallel to the major plane of the anode 15 providing a perpendicular surface to the axial discharges of the individual anode cells 14.
  • a high voltage source 18 is connected to the anode 15 through an insulator 21 while the sputtering electrode 16 is connected to a lower potential, illustratively shown as ground, through an insulator 22.
  • Two magnetic core pieces 19 and 20 oppositely disposed outside of envelope l establish magnetic field B within the chamber 13 extending axially of the anode cells 14 in the direction shown and in conventional manner.
  • the conventional aspect of operation of the ion pump is as follows. Upon establishing a sufficiently high potential on the anode 15 relative to the sputtering cathode 16, a discharge is pro prised which results in electrons flowing from the cathode to the anode. However, the magnetic field prevents the electrons from hitting the anode, but causes them to oscillate back and forth; en route, they thus collide with molecules of the gas being evacuated that are present in the space betwen the two electrodes, thereby converting the molecules into positive ions which are attracted to the negatively charged sputtering electrode 16.
  • the ionized particles strike the sputtering electrode causing reactive material to sputter from the cathode surface and deposit as a thin film, principally on the anode surface.
  • the gettering action of this thin reactive film provides the principal mechanism by which gas molecules are pumped. As will be appreciated, it is extremely important in the pump operation that this thin reactive film be continuously renewed by sputtering.
  • the ion pump is provided with a separate high yield source of metallic atoms in the gas phase for ionization and sputtering comprising a metal having a relatively high vapor pressure, e.g., magnesium or manganese.
  • the high vapor pressure metal is heated to yield atoms in the vapor phase which are ionized in the discharge for sputtering. Localized heating is conveniently accomplished by the pump discharge.
  • the high vapor pressure metallic source is embodied as a second electrode 17 connected to ground through the insulator 22, as shown.
  • the high vapor pressure electrode 17 is illustratively in the form of a flat plate disposed in parallel relation to the sputtering electrode 16 on the opposite side of the anode 15.
  • the method of enhancing the low pressure pump ing mechanism of sputter ion pumps having a discharge and at least one reactive sputtering cathode comprising the steps of:

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  • Electron Tubes For Measurement (AREA)
US00231828A 1972-03-06 1972-03-06 Sputter ion pumps Expired - Lifetime US3781133A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US23182872A 1972-03-06 1972-03-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3781133A true US3781133A (en) 1973-12-25

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ID=22870778

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00231828A Expired - Lifetime US3781133A (en) 1972-03-06 1972-03-06 Sputter ion pumps

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3781133A (de)
JP (1) JPS48104109A (de)
DE (1) DE2311083A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2175465A5 (de)
IL (1) IL41704A0 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4274022A (en) * 1978-06-16 1981-06-16 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Evacuating device for generating an insulating vacuum around the superconducting winding of a rotor
US9960026B1 (en) * 2013-11-11 2018-05-01 Coldquanta Inc. Ion pump with direct molecule flow channel through anode

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4274022A (en) * 1978-06-16 1981-06-16 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Evacuating device for generating an insulating vacuum around the superconducting winding of a rotor
US9960026B1 (en) * 2013-11-11 2018-05-01 Coldquanta Inc. Ion pump with direct molecule flow channel through anode

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2311083A1 (de) 1973-09-13
FR2175465A5 (de) 1973-10-19
JPS48104109A (de) 1973-12-27
IL41704A0 (en) 1973-05-31

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Legal Events

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AS Assignment

Owner name: VEECO INSTRUMENTS ACQUISITION CORP., NEW YORK

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:VEECO INSTRUMENTS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:005258/0127

Effective date: 19900117

AS Assignment

Owner name: CHEMICAL BANK, AS AGENT

Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:VEECO INSTRUMENT ACQUISTION CORP.;REEL/FRAME:005254/0077

Effective date: 19900116