US3827829A - Sputter-ion pump - Google Patents

Sputter-ion pump Download PDF

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Publication number
US3827829A
US3827829A US00240451A US24045172A US3827829A US 3827829 A US3827829 A US 3827829A US 00240451 A US00240451 A US 00240451A US 24045172 A US24045172 A US 24045172A US 3827829 A US3827829 A US 3827829A
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United States
Prior art keywords
vapor pressure
electrode
anode
high vapor
pump
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US00240451A
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English (en)
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T Tom
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VEECO INSTRUMENTS ACQUISITION CORP
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Veeco Instruments Inc
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Priority to US00240451A priority Critical patent/US3827829A/en
Priority to IL41717A priority patent/IL41717A0/xx
Priority to DE19732314284 priority patent/DE2314284A1/de
Priority to FR7310892A priority patent/FR2179397A6/fr
Priority to JP48038175A priority patent/JPS497807A/ja
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Publication of US3827829A publication Critical patent/US3827829A/en
Assigned to VEECO INSTRUMENTS ACQUISITION CORP. reassignment VEECO INSTRUMENTS ACQUISITION CORP. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: VEECO INSTRUMENTS, INC.
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

  • This invention relates to improvements in electronic vacuum pumps of the cold cathode discharge type which operate on the principle of ion sputtering, and more particularly to improvements in sputter-ion pumps employing a high vapor pressure electrode as a source of ions.
  • a sputter-ion pump is taught by Lewis D. Hall in the copending, commonly assigned application Ser. No. 231,828, filed on or about Mar. 6, 1972, entitled Sputter Ion Pumps and which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • gas molecules are ionized and the ions accelerated under the influence of an electric field to bombard a sputtering electrode of reactive material.
  • the ionized molecules strike the electrode surface causing small amounts of reactive material to become dislodged or sputtered with the resulting sputtered material forming a thin film on a gettering surface whereby the gas molecules are captured to provide the pumping mechanism.
  • Detailed discussionsof the phenomena will be found in the extensive literature on the subject. See, for example, US. Pat. No. 2,967,257.
  • the performance of ion pumps is dependent on the rate of ionization.
  • the number of molecules available for ionization is relatively small, thus limiting pump performance.
  • the problem of high vapor pressure electrode burn-out is eleminated by controlling the effective area of the high vapor pressure cathode surface facing the pump discharge. In one embodiment this is accomplished by lining the high vapor pressure electrode with relatively low vapor pressure material such a tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum or titanium in a suitable configuration so as to diffuse the ion beam arriving at the cathode surface.
  • relatively low vapor pressure material such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum or titanium in a suitable configuration so as to diffuse the ion beam arriving at the cathode surface.
  • Another embodiment of the invention employs rods or strips of gettering material to connect electrodes of high vapor pressure material to thereby control the effective surface area thereof exposed to pump discharge, while a third embodiment involves dispersing rods or strips of the high vapor pressure electrode material on a substrate of gettering material.
  • a final embodiment of the invention involves disposing rods or strips of the high vapor pressure material between sputtering electrodes axially in the direction of the E and B fields in the pump.
  • the electrode structures of the present invention have been found not only to eliminate the bum-out problem which I perceived, but have also been found to significantly improve the ability of the pump to evacuate inert gases.
  • FIG. 1 is a partially diagrammatical cross-sectional view of an improved sputter-ion pump in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to FIG. 1, illustrating three alternate ion pump electrode assemblies embodying the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 An ion pump embodying the present invention is illustraded in FIG. 1.
  • 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 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 l0 establish magnetic field B within the chamber 13 extending axially along the anode cells 14 in the direction shown in conventional manner.
  • the conventional aspect of operation of the ion pump is as follows.
  • a discharge is produced which results in a flow of electrons from the cathode to the anode.
  • the magnetic field causes the electrons to follow a spiral path and en route they collide with molecules of the gas being evacuated present in the space between the two electrodes, thus 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 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.
  • FIG. 1 One embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein a series of rods 12 of relatively low vapor pressure material are disposed on the surface of the high vapor pressure electrode material facing the pump discharge.
  • the rods 12 are affixed to the face of electrode 17 by, for example, welds.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an alternate electrode assembly of the present invention.
  • the embodiment of FIG. 2 comprises a cellular anode 15 substantially similar to that of FIG. 1.
  • Disposed on opposite sides of the cellular anode 15 are high vapor pressure electrodes 17 which are illustratively in the form of flat plates extending parallel to the major plane of the anode 15.
  • a plurality of perpendicular rods or strips of reactive gettering material 16 extend axially through the anode cells 14 to connect the two plates 17.
  • the high vapor pressure electrodes 17 and the sputtering electrodes 16 are connected to ground in the manner shown.
  • the rods or strips of relatively low vapor pressure gettering material 16 function to control the effective surface area of the high vapor pressure electrodes 17 facing the pump discharge while simultaneously functioning as sources of gettering material. Thus the danger of burn-out of the high vapor pressure electrodes 17 is eliminated.
  • the electrode assembly includes a cellular anode l5 and a pair of approximately parallel oppositely disposed sputtering electrode plates 16 formed of reactive gettering material.
  • a plurality of high vapor pressure electrodes 17 formed of a suitable high vapor pressure material. The problem of burn-out of the high vapor pressure material electrodes is thus solved by dispersing the rods or strips of the high vapor pressure material on a substrate of reactive gettering material.
  • a fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the electrode assembly of FIG. 4 which includes a cellular anode 15 and a pair of oppositely disposed sputtering electrode plates 16 formed of reactive gettering material.
  • a plurality of perpendicular rods or strips of high vapor pressure material 17 extend axially through the anode cells 14 substantially parallel to the E and B fields in the pump to connect the two sputtering electrodes 16. In this manner the danger of high vapor pressure electrode burn-out is overcome.
  • a sputter ion vacuum pump comprising means forming a pump chamber, an anode within said chamber, a sputtering electrode of reactive gettering material disposed in operative relation to said anode within said chamber, an electrode of relatively high vapor pressure material disposed in operative relation to said anode and said sputtering electrode within said chamber, means establishing an electrical discharge field between said anode and said electrodes with said anode being at an elevated potential relative to said electrodes, means establishing a magnetic field extending in the direction of said electrical field, said high vapor pressure electrode comprising a plurality of spaced apart high vapor pressure surfaces facing said anode and being adapted to yield vapor atoms for ionization when heated by said pump discharge, and low vapor pressure electrode means forming part of said high vapor pressure electrode comprising a plurality of electrode elements located in spaced apart relation intermediate said high vapor pressure surfaces to thereby control the rate of vaporization of said high vapor pressure electrode and prevent an excessive intensification of said said vapor
  • a sputter ion vacuum pump comprising:
  • a pump chamber in a position where it will be heated
  • A. a pump chamber which may accumulate gases to 5 by the ionic discharge of the pump to a point at be evacuated therefrom; which vapor atoms of said material will be emitted
  • B. an anode situated in the pump chamber; said atoms being ionized by interaction with elec-
  • C. a cathode constructed of a reactive gettering matrons in the pump chamber to increase the ionic terial situated in the pump chamber in operative bombardment of the cathode; and association with the anode; 0 G. means situated in the path of the ionic discharge D.
  • said diffusing means E means establishing a magnetic field in the direcbeing constructed of a low vapor pressure material.

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  • Electron Tubes For Measurement (AREA)
US00240451A 1972-04-03 1972-04-03 Sputter-ion pump Expired - Lifetime US3827829A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00240451A US3827829A (en) 1972-04-03 1972-04-03 Sputter-ion pump
IL41717A IL41717A0 (en) 1972-04-03 1973-03-07 Improvements in sputter ion pumps
DE19732314284 DE2314284A1 (de) 1972-04-03 1973-03-22 Ionenzerstaeuber-vakuumpumpe
FR7310892A FR2179397A6 (fr) 1972-04-03 1973-03-27
JP48038175A JPS497807A (fr) 1972-04-03 1973-04-03

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00240451A US3827829A (en) 1972-04-03 1972-04-03 Sputter-ion pump

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3827829A true US3827829A (en) 1974-08-06

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00240451A Expired - Lifetime US3827829A (en) 1972-04-03 1972-04-03 Sputter-ion pump

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US3827829A (fr)
JP (1) JPS497807A (fr)
DE (1) DE2314284A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2179397A6 (fr)
IL (1) IL41717A0 (fr)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5899666A (en) * 1996-08-27 1999-05-04 Korea Research Institute Of Standards And Science Ion drag vacuum pump
KR100860274B1 (ko) * 2007-06-29 2008-09-25 포항공과대학교 산학협력단 저온 가열탈기체 처리 가능한 소형, 경량 초고진공용스퍼터 이온펌프 및 그제조방법
US20080279698A1 (en) * 2002-09-09 2008-11-13 Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania Controlled magnetohydrodynamic fluidic networks and stirrers
US20100310383A1 (en) * 2008-02-14 2010-12-09 National Institute Of Information And Communications Technology Ion pump system and electromagnetic field generator
US20160233050A1 (en) * 2015-02-06 2016-08-11 Hitachi, Ltd. Ion pump and charged particle beam device using the same
US9960026B1 (en) * 2013-11-11 2018-05-01 Coldquanta Inc. Ion pump with direct molecule flow channel through anode
US20180254173A1 (en) * 2015-09-16 2018-09-06 Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation Vacuum apparatus
US11081327B2 (en) * 2015-02-10 2021-08-03 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation System and method for enhanced ion pump lifespan

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6023280Y2 (ja) * 1978-08-10 1985-07-10 日本ケ−ブル・システム株式会社 舶用機関の制御装置

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3112863A (en) * 1960-10-06 1963-12-03 Cons Vacuum Corp Ion pump
US3141605A (en) * 1961-08-18 1964-07-21 Nippon Electric Co Magnetron type getter ion pump
US3233823A (en) * 1961-11-20 1966-02-08 Nippon Electric Co Electron-discharge vacuum apparatus
US3542488A (en) * 1968-10-28 1970-11-24 Andar Iti Inc Method and apparatus for producing alloyed getter films in sputter-ion pumps
US3546510A (en) * 1967-11-30 1970-12-08 Philips Corp Square cathode for ion getter pumps

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3112863A (en) * 1960-10-06 1963-12-03 Cons Vacuum Corp Ion pump
US3141605A (en) * 1961-08-18 1964-07-21 Nippon Electric Co Magnetron type getter ion pump
US3233823A (en) * 1961-11-20 1966-02-08 Nippon Electric Co Electron-discharge vacuum apparatus
US3546510A (en) * 1967-11-30 1970-12-08 Philips Corp Square cathode for ion getter pumps
US3542488A (en) * 1968-10-28 1970-11-24 Andar Iti Inc Method and apparatus for producing alloyed getter films in sputter-ion pumps

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5899666A (en) * 1996-08-27 1999-05-04 Korea Research Institute Of Standards And Science Ion drag vacuum pump
US20080279698A1 (en) * 2002-09-09 2008-11-13 Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania Controlled magnetohydrodynamic fluidic networks and stirrers
US8562305B2 (en) * 2002-09-09 2013-10-22 The Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania Controlled magnetohydrodynamic fluidic networks and stirrers
KR100860274B1 (ko) * 2007-06-29 2008-09-25 포항공과대학교 산학협력단 저온 가열탈기체 처리 가능한 소형, 경량 초고진공용스퍼터 이온펌프 및 그제조방법
US20100310383A1 (en) * 2008-02-14 2010-12-09 National Institute Of Information And Communications Technology Ion pump system and electromagnetic field generator
US8512005B2 (en) * 2008-02-14 2013-08-20 National Institute Of Information And Communications Technology Ion pump system and electromagnetic field generator
US9960026B1 (en) * 2013-11-11 2018-05-01 Coldquanta Inc. Ion pump with direct molecule flow channel through anode
US20160233050A1 (en) * 2015-02-06 2016-08-11 Hitachi, Ltd. Ion pump and charged particle beam device using the same
US9837243B2 (en) * 2015-02-06 2017-12-05 Hitachi, Ltd. Ion pump and charged particle beam device using the same
US11081327B2 (en) * 2015-02-10 2021-08-03 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation System and method for enhanced ion pump lifespan
US20210327695A1 (en) * 2015-02-10 2021-10-21 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation System and method for enhanced ion pump lifespan
US11742191B2 (en) * 2015-02-10 2023-08-29 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation System and method for enhanced ion pump lifespan
US20180254173A1 (en) * 2015-09-16 2018-09-06 Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation Vacuum apparatus
US10804084B2 (en) * 2015-09-16 2020-10-13 Hitachi High-Tech Corporation Vacuum apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2179397A6 (fr) 1973-11-16
JPS497807A (fr) 1974-01-24
IL41717A0 (en) 1973-05-31
DE2314284A1 (de) 1973-10-25

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

Effective date: 19900117

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

Effective date: 19900116