US 11,668,309 B2Granted

Vacuum component and evacuation method using the same

AssigneeJapan Atomic Energy Agency

InventorJunichiro Kamiya

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Abstract

Provided is a vacuum component capable of evacuation by a getting effect, which has a large maximum number of captured molecules and a long working life. It is provided, in an area around its central axis, with a hollow cylindrical electrode 20 having an electrode surface 20A that is sufficiently smaller than an inner surface 10A of the vacuum container 10, along the central axis. In the vacuum container 10, it is possible to realize any one of states among a first state of generating DC discharge by introducing Ar into the inside and setting the electrode surface 20A at a positive potential, a second state of setting the electrode surface 20A at a ground potential without introducing Ar, and a third state of generating DC discharge by introducing Ar into the inside and setting the electrode surface 20A at a negative potential. Evacuation by the vacuum component 1 is performed in the second state. Further, evacuation by the vacuum component 1 is performed also by realizing a state of performing a heating process at 400° C. or below without using the electrode.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A vacuum component having a pumping capacity by means of a gettering effect of titanium (Ti):

including a vacuum container provided with a Ti layer having a thickness of no less than 100 μm, the Ti layer containing Ti;
evacuating a vacuum chamber to be a target of the evacuation, by being put into a state where either a) the Ti layer does not have a Ti oxide layer formed on the Ti layer and is exposed on an inner surface of the vacuum container, or b) the Ti layer has a Ti oxide layer directly formed on the Ti layer in a manner to have a thickness of no greater than 1 nm, or a surface oxygen concentration of no greater than 20 atomic %, and is exposed on an inner surface of the vacuum containers;
wherein
the vacuum component includes:
an electrode provided inside the vacuum container, the electrode having an electrode surface corresponding to its surface facing the inner surface of the vacuum container;
and
a gas inlet for introducing an inert gas into the vacuum container,
the vacuum component is configured such that its state can be switched between a first state of generating DC discharge by introducing the inert gas into the vacuum container and setting the electrode surface at a positive potential and the inner surface at a negative potential, and a second state of setting the electrode surface at the same potential as the inner surface or setting the electrode surface in a floating state from the inner surface without introducing the inert gas into the vacuum container, and
the vacuum component is set to be in the second state when performing evacuation.

6 more elements

A vacuum component having a pumping capacity by means of a gettering effect of titanium (Ti), including

a vacuum container provided with a Ti layer having a thickness of no less than 100 μm, the Ti layer containing Ti,
wherein, either a) the Ti layer does not have a Ti oxide layer formed on the Ti layer, or b) the Ti layer has a Ti oxide layer directly formed on the Ti layer in a manner to have a thickness of no greater than 1 nm, or a surface oxygen concentration of no greater than 20 atomic %,
wherein a coating layer either containing an NEG (Non-evaporable getter) material selected from Ti, zirconium (Zr), vanadium (V), hafnium (Hf) and niobium (Nb) or containing a noble metal selected from palladium (Pd), gold (Au), silver (Ag) and platinum (Pt) is directly formed on a) the Ti layer not having a Ti oxide layer or b) the Ti layer having a Ti oxide layer formed thereon, and
wherein the vacuum component evacuates a vacuum chamber to be a target of the evacuation, by being put into a state where the coating layer is exposed on an inner surface of the vacuum container,
wherein
the vacuum component includes:
an electrode provided inside the vacuum container, the electrode having an electrode surface corresponding to its surface facing the inner surface of the vacuum container;
and
a gas inlet for introducing an inert gas into the vacuum container,
the vacuum component is configured such that its state can be switched among a first state of generating DC discharge by introducing the inert gas into the vacuum container and setting the electrode surface at a positive potential and the inner surface at a negative potential, a second state of setting the electrode surface at the same potential as the inner surface or setting the electrode surface in a floating state from the inner surface without introducing the inert gas into the vacuum container, and a third state of generating DC discharge by introducing the inert gas into the vacuum container and setting the electrode surface at a negative potential and the inner surface at a positive potential,
the electrode surface is formed of a material constituting the coating layer, and
the vacuum component is set into the second state when performing evacuation.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/387,756Filed 28 Jul 2021
Priority: JP JP2020-13026631 Jul 2020
Published: US 2022/0034327 A13 Feb 2022
Granted: 6 Jun 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F04D 19/042
Specially adapted to the production of a high vacuum, e.g. molecular pumps: turbomolecular vacuum pumps
F04B 37/02
Pumps having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B25/00 - F04B35/00: for evacuating by absorption…
F04B 37/04
For evacuating by absorption or adsorption: selection of specific absorption or adsorption materials
F04B 37/14
For special use: to obtain high vacuum