Vacuum gauge and contamination diagnosis method

A vacuum gauge having a contamination diagnosing mode and a normal operation mode for measuring a vacuum pressure corresponding to a magnitude of an electric current to be detected, comprising:

• a first anode and a first cathode transferring and receiving charged particles forming the electric current;
• a second anode and a second cathode to transferring and receiving the charged particles forming the electric current;
• and
• a control unit measuring the magnitude of the electric current flowing between the first anode and the first cathode by transferring and receiving the charged particles between the first anode and the first cathode in the normal operation mode, measuring the magnitude of the electric current flowing between the second anode and the second cathode by transferring and receiving the charged particles between the second anode and the second cathode in the contamination diagnosing mode, and comparing an electric current magnitude measured between the first anode and the first cathode with the foregoing measured electric current magnitude.

A vacuum gauge having a contamination diagnosing mode and a normal operation mode for measuring a vacuum pressure corresponding to a magnitude of an electric current to be detected, comprising:

• a first electrode collecting charged particles forming the electric current;
• a second electrode collecting the charged particles forming the electric current;
• and
• a control unit measuring the magnitude of the electric current by causing the first electrode to collect the charged particles in the normal operation mode, measuring the magnitude of the electric current by causing the second electrode to collect the charged particles in the contamination diagnosing mode, and comparing an electric current magnitude measured by causing the first electrode to collect the charged particles with the foregoing the electric current magnitude.

A method of diagnosing contamination level for a vacuum gauge by measuring a vacuum pressure corresponding to a magnitude of a detected electric current, comprising:

• transferring and receiving charged particles between a second anode and a second cathode being different from a first anode and a first cathode to transfer and receive the charged particles forming the electric current in a normal operation;
• measuring the magnitude of the electric current flowing between the second anode and the second cathode by transferring and receiving the charged particles, and comparing an electric current magnitude measured by transferring and receiving the charged particles between the first anode and the first cathode with the foregoing electric current magnitude;
• determining whether a ratio or a difference between the two electric current magnitudes compared in the measuring falls within a predetermined range;
• and
• diagnosing the vacuum gauge to be clean when making a determination of falling within the predetermined range, and diagnosing the vacuum gauge to be contaminated when making the determination of not falling within the predetermined range.