Sputter ion pump with penning-trap current sensor
AssigneeColdQuanta, Inc.
InventorsSteven Michael Hughes, Farhad Majdeteimouri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sputter-ion-pump system includes a sputter ion pump and an electronic drive. The electronic drive supplies a voltage across the ion pump to establish, in cooperation with a magnetic field, a Penning trap within the ion pump. A current sensor measures the Penning-trap current across the Penning trap. The Penning trap is used as an indication of pressure within the ion pump or a vacuum chamber including or in fluid communication with the ion pump. The pressure information can be used to determine flow rates, e.g., due to a load, outgassing, and/or leakage from an ambient.
Claims20
A sputter ion-pump process comprising:
- applying a voltage differential between a cathode set of at least one cathode and an anode set of at least one anode so as to cooperate with a magnetic field to establish a Penning trap in a sputter ion pump and establish a Penning-trap current through the Penning trap;
- and
- measuring the Penning trap-current;
- and
- determining a pressure at least in part as a function of the voltage differential.
The process of 7 wherein the differential voltages are constrained according to a reward-versus-risk algorithm, the reward being lower pressure and the risk being risk of Penning-trap instability or collapse.
A sputter ion-pump system comprising non-transitory media that, when executed using hardware causes a process to be implemented, the process including:
- applying a voltage differential between a cathode set of at least one cathode and an anode set of at least one anode so as to cooperate with a magnetic field to establish a Penning trap in a sputter ion pump and establish a Penning-trap current through the Penning trap;
- and
- measuring the Penning trap current;
- and
- determining a pressure at least in part as a function of the voltage differential.
The system of 17 wherein the differential voltages are constrained according to a reward-versus-risk algorithm, the reward being lower pressure and the risk being risk of Penning-trap instability or collapse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.