Techniques for controlling vapor pressure of subject materials in vapor cells and related methods
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorsRobert Lutwak, Lichung Ha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a vapor cell includes forming a body of the vapor cell having walls defining a cavity thereinbetween, the cavity having an amount of a subject material contained therein. The method also includes forming a pore structure having a substrate material with pores of a substantially uniform dimension formed therein, the pore structure disposed along a portion of one or more of the walls of the vapor cell. The method further includes forming a liner material of a uniform thickness over one or more internal surfaces of the pores, wherein the subject material exhibits a reduced wetting angle on the liner material which is less than a wetting angle of the subject material on the substrate material.
Claims25
A vapor cell, comprising:
- a body having walls defining a cavity thereinbetween, the cavity containing an amount of a subject material;
- a pore structure comprising a substrate material having pores of a substantially uniform diameter formed therein, the pore structure disposed along a portion of one or more of the walls;
- and
- a liner material disposed over one or more internal surfaces of the pores,
- wherein the subject material exhibits a wetting angle on the liner material which is less than a wetting angle of the subject material on the substrate material.
A method of manufacturing a vapor cell, comprising:
- forming a body of the vapor cell having walls defining a cavity thereinbetween, the cavity having an amount of a subject material contained therein;
- forming a pore structure comprising a substrate material formed of silicon having pores of a substantially uniform dimension of about 1,000 nanometers formed therein, the pore structure disposed along a portion of one or more of the walls of the vapor cell;
- and
- forming a liner material of platinum having a uniform thickness over one or more internal surfaces of the pores, wherein the subject material exhibits a reduced wetting angle on the liner material which is less than a wetting angle of the subject material on the substrate material.
A system, comprising:
- an emitter positioned and oriented to direct radiation through windows of a vapor cell, wherein the vapor cell comprises:
- a body having walls defining a cavity thereinbetween and an amount of a subject material disposed in the cavity;
- a pore structure comprising a substrate material having pores of a substantially uniform diameter formed therein, the pore structure disposed along a portion of one or more of the walls;
- a liner material of a uniform thickness disposed over internal surfaces of the pores, the subject material exhibiting a wetting angle on the liner material which is less than a wetting angle of the subject material on the substrate material;
- and
- a detector positioned and oriented to detect the radiation directed through the windows of the vapor cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.