# US 10,455,683 B2 · Ion throughput pump and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,683 B2 - Document ID: US10455683B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/169,697 - Filed: 2016-05-31 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-31 - Assignees: Agilent Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Agilent Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Mark Denning - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455683B2 ## CPC - H05H 3/02: Molecular or atomic-beam generation, e.g. resonant beam generation - H01J 41/12: Discharge tubes for evacuating by diffusion of ions, e.g. ion pumps, getter ion pumps - H01J 27/143: {Hall-effect ion sources with closed electron drift} - H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract An ion throughput pump (ITP) includes a pump inlet configured to communicate with a vacuum chamber; an ionization source fluidly communicating with the vacuum chamber via the pump inlet and configured for ionizing gas species received from the vacuum chamber; a pump outlet; ion optics configured for accelerating ions produced by the ionization source toward the pump outlet; and a roughing pump stage configured for receiving the ions from the ionization source, producing neutral species from the ions, and pumping the neutral species through the pump outlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ion throughput pump (ITP), comprising: a pump inlet configured to communicate with a vacuum chamber; an ionization source downstream from the pump inlet and the vacuum chamber, the ionization source configured for ionizing gas species received from the vacuum chamber, wherein the pump inlet defines a path for the gas species to enter the ionization source from the vacuum chamber, and wherein the ionization source comprises a magnet assembly; a pump outlet; ion optics arranged generally along a longitudinal axis of the ITP, and configured for accelerating ions produced by the ionization source toward the pump outlet; and a roughing pump stage spaced from the pump inlet along the longitudinal axis, the roughing pump stage configured for receiving the ions from the ionization source, producing neutral species from the ions, and pumping the neutral species through the pump outlet, wherein: the ionization source defines an ionization region between the pump inlet and the roughing pump stage; the ion optics are configured for generating an electric field through the ionization region oriented along the longitudinal axis; and the magnet assembly is configured to generate a magnetic field that in the ionization region is predominantly oriented in a radial direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, such that the ionization source generates a Hall-effect plasma in the ionization region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, comprising an inlet electrode having a configuration selected from the group consisting of: the inlet electrode is positioned at or near the pump inlet; the inlet electrode is positioned at or near the pump inlet, and comprises a plurality of openings formed therethrough; the inlet electrode is positioned at or near the pump inlet, and comprises a plurality of inlet electrodes axially spaced from each other; and the inlet electrode is positioned at or near the pump inlet, and comprises a plurality of inlet electrodes axially spaced from each other, wherein each inlet electrode comprises an opening formed therethrough, and the opening of each inlet electrode is offset from the opening of an adjacent one of the plurality of inlet electrodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, comprising a gas conductance barrier having a configuration selected from the group consisting of: the gas conductance barrier is upstream of the roughing pump stage and is configured for establishing an ion path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage; the gas conductance barrier is upstream of the roughing pump stage and is configured for establishing an ion path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage, wherein the gas conductance barrier is an electrode; the gas conductance barrier is upstream of the roughing pump stage and is configured for establishing an ion path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage, wherein the gas conductance barrier comprises a plurality of gas conductance barriers axially spaced from each other; the gas conductance barrier is upstream of the roughing pump stage and is configured for establishing an ion path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage, wherein the gas conductance barrier comprises a plurality of gas conductance barriers axially spaced from each other, and wherein each gas conductance barrier comprises an opening formed therethrough, and the opening of each gas conductance barrier is offset from the opening of an adjacent one of the plurality of gas conductance barriers; and the gas conductance barrier is upstream of the roughing pump stage and is configured for establishing an ion path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage, and further comprising a bypass conduit configured to provide a fluid flow path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage while bypassing the gas conductance barrier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, wherein the roughing pump stage has a configuration selected from the group consisting of: the roughing pump stage comprises a plate positioned such that ions received from the ionization source impinge on the plate and are neutralized thereby; and the roughing pump stage comprises a plate positioned such that ions received from the ionization source impinge on the plate and are neutralized thereby, wherein the plate is an electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, comprising a roughing pump unit communicating with the roughing pump stage and configured to pump the vacuum chamber down to rough vacuum. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, wherein the ionization source has a configuration selected from the group consisting of: the ionization source comprises an inner magnet, an outer magnet, and an annular ionization chamber between the inner magnet and the outer magnet; the ionization source comprises an inner magnet, an outer magnet, and an ionization chamber between the inner magnet and the outer magnet, and the ionization chamber comprises a cylindrical section and an annular section between the pump inlet and the cylindrical section; and the ionization source comprises an anode, wherein the magnet assembly is between the pump inlet and the anode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, comprising a supplemental pump selected from the group consisting of: a non-evaporable getter positioned at an inside surface of the ITP; a sputter ion pump positioned in an interior of the ITP; and both of the foregoing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, wherein: the ion optics comprise an inlet electrode positioned at or near the pump inlet, and a downstream electrode positioned downstream from the ionization source; and the downstream electrode is selected from the group consisting of: a gas conductance barrier configured for establishing an ion path from the ionization source to the roughing pump stage; a neutralization element positioned such that ions received from the ionization source impinge on the plate and are neutralized thereby; and both of the foregoing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, comprising a gas conductance barrier downstream from the ionization source and the magnet assembly and upstream of the roughing pump stage, the gas conductance barrier comprising a plate and an orifice extending through the plate, wherein the gas conductance barrier defines a path for the ions from the ionization source, through the orifice, and to the roughing pump stage, and the path is a low-conductance path for neutral gas species. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ITP of claim 1, comprising an inlet electrode positioned at or near the pump inlet, the inlet electrode comprising a plurality of openings formed therethrough, wherein the inlet electrode is part of the path for the gas species to enter the ionization source from the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 11 A method for evacuating a vacuum chamber, the method comprising: receiving gas species from the vacuum chamber through a pump inlet into an ionization source downstream from the pump inlet and the vacuum chamber, wherein the pump inlet defines a path for the gas species to enter the ionization source from the vacuum chamber, and wherein the ionization source comprises a magnet assembly; generating an electric field in the ionization source to produce ions from the gas species and accelerate the ions away from the ionization source and toward a pump outlet; neutralizing the ions to produce neutralized species; and pumping the neutralized species out from the pump outlet, wherein: the ionization source defines an ionization region between the pump inlet and the roughing pump stage; the electric field extends through the ionization region along a longitudinal axis; and the magnet assembly is configured to generate a magnetic field that in the ionization region is predominantly oriented in a radial direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, such that the ionization source generates a Hall-effect plasma in the ionization region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the gas species comprises conducting the gas species through a non-line-of-sight path between the vacuum chamber and the ionization source. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising a step selected from the group consisting of: conducting the ions through a gas conductance barrier between the ionization source and the pump outlet; and conducting the ions through a non-line-of-sight path formed by a gas conductance barrier between the ionization source and the pump outlet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising, before generating the electric field, conducting the gas species along a bypass path that bypasses the gas conductance barrier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising conducting the gas along the bypass path until the vacuum chamber reaches a rough vacuum level and, after the vacuum chamber reaches the rough vacuum level, closing the bypass path, wherein generating the electric field occurs after the vacuum chamber reaches the rough vacuum level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising a step selected from the group consisting of: operating a roughing pump to pump the neutralized species out from the pump outlet; before generating the electric field, operating a roughing pump to pump the gas species out from the pump outlet without ionizing the gas species; and both of the foregoing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein neutralizing the ions comprises directing the ions into impingement with a plate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the magnetic field is oriented to confine motions of electrons in the plasma in a radial direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein generating the electric field and neutralizing the ions occur in a pump interior, and further comprising, after the vacuum chamber reaches a desired vacuum range, ceasing generating the electric field and operating a sputter ion pump positioned in the pump interior. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein generating the electric field and neutralizing the ions occur in a pump interior, and further comprising a step selected from the group consisting of: capturing gas species, or neutralized species, or both gas species and neutralized species at one or more non-evaporable getters positioned in the pump interior; capturing gas species, or neutralized species, or both gas species and neutralized species in one or more sputter ion pumps positioned in the pump interior; and both of the foregoing.