Cathode Design Optimization toward the Wide-Pressure-Range Miniature Discharge Ion Source for a Vacuum Micropump

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2019-02, Vol.19 (3), p.624
• Main Authors: Yao, Tongtong, Tang, Fei, Zhang, Jian, Wang, Xiaohao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: atmosphere to high vacuum; discharge; ion source; vacuum MEMS; vacuum micropump
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s19030624

It is difficult to generate and maintain the vacuum level in vacuum MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices. Currently, there is still no single method or device capable of generating and maintaining the desired vacuum level in a vacuum device for a long time. This paper proposed a new wide-pressure-range miniature ion source, which can be applied to a vacuum micropump. The miniature ion source consists only of silicon electrodes and a glass substrate. Its operating pressure range covers seven orders of magnitude, starting from atmospheric pressure, a promising solution to the difficulty. Based on the principle of gas discharge, the ion source features a simple two-electrode structure with a two-stage electrode spacing, operating under DC voltage excitation. The first-stage electrode spacing of the ion source is small enough to ensure that it starts working at atmospheric pressure down to a certain reduced pressure when it automatically switches to discharge at the larger second-stage electrode spacing and operates from that pressure down to a high vacuum. Two configurations of the ion source have been tested: without-magnet, operating from atmospheric pressure down to 1 mbar; and with-magnet, operating from atmospheric pressure to 10 mbar, which covers seven orders of magnitude of pressure. The ion source can be applied not only to a MEMS ion pump to meet demands of a variety of vacuum MEMS devices, but can also be applied to other devices, such as vacuum microgauges and mass spectrometers.