# US 7,609,067 B1 · Electronic portion of an ion gauge with ion collectors bowed out of plane to form a three dimensional arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,067 B1 - Document ID: US7609067B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 11/269,960 - Filed: 2005-11-09 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-11-09 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Chien-Hua Chen; James McKinnell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609067B1 ## CPC - G01L 21/32: using electric discharge tubes with thermionic cathodes - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present invention pertain to an electronic portion of a MEMs ion gauge with ion collectors bowed out of plane to form a three dimensional arrangement and a method for forming an electronic portion of a MEMs ion gauge with ion collectors bowed out of plane to form a three dimensional arrangement. In one embodiment, an ion gauge substrate is formed. The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge is assembled by coupling a plurality of ion collectors with the ion gauge substrate, wherein the coupling of the plurality of ion collectors with the ion gauge substrate further comprises performing an operation that causes the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane to form a three dimensional arrangement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming an electronic portion of a MEMs ion gauge with ion collectors bowed out of plane to form a three dimensional arrangement, the method comprising: forming an ion gauge substrate; and assembling the electronic portion of the ion gauge by coupling a plurality of ion collectors with the ion gauge substrate, via bond pads, wherein the plurality of ion collectors are bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form a three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising; assembling the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge by coupling one or more hot filaments with the ion gauge substrate, via bond pads wherein the coupling of the one or more hot filaments with the ion gauge substrate further comprises performing an operation that causes the one or more hot filaments to be bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising; assembling the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge by coupling one or more bias grids with the ion gauge substrate, via bond pads wherein the coupling of the one or more bias grids with the ion gauge substrate further comprises performing an operation that causes the one or more bias grids to be bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprises: forming the one or more ion collectors to have a profile that is selected from a group consisting of a trapezoid shape with the long side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate, and a trapezoid shape with the short side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprises: forming the plurality of ion collectors to have a profile that is selected from a group consisting of a trapezoid shape with the long side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate, and a trapezoid shape with the short side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein assembling the electronic portion of the ion gauge further comprises: further comprises performing an operation that causes the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the performing of the operation that causes the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane further comprises: using thermal cycles to cause the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the performing of the operation that causes the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane further comprises: using semi-conductor lithography to cause the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: forming the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge to have a length that ranges from 1 millimeter (mm) to 20 mms, a height that is approximately the height of one to two semi-conductor wafers; and forming the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge to have a trench, wherein a width of the trench is approximately 0.5 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprises: forming the plurality of ion collectors out of a refractory metal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: wherein the bond pads are far enough from a trench associated with the ion gauge substrate to not interfere with the accuracy of the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge to measure a vacuum level. ### Claim 12 An electronic portion of a MEMs ion gauge ion collectors bowed out of plane to form a three dimensional arrangement, the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge comprising: an ion gauge substrate; and a plurality of ion collectors assembled with the ion gauge substrate, wherein the plurality of ion collectors are bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, further comprises; one or more hot filaments coupled with the ion gauge substrate, via bond pads wherein the one or more hot filaments are bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 13, wherein: the one or more hot filaments are formed to have a profile that is selected from a group consisting of a trapezoid shape with the long side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate, and a trapezoid shape with the short side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, further comprises; one or more bias grids coupled with the ion gauge substrate, via bond pads wherein the one or more bias grids are bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 15, further comprises: the one or more bias grids are formed to have a profile that is selected from a group consisting of a trapezoid shape with the long side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate, and a trapezoid shape with the short side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, further comprises: the plurality of ion collectors are formed to have a profile that is selected from a group consisting of a trapezoid shape with the long side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate, and a trapezoid shape with the short side adjacent to the ion gauge substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The electron portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, wherein an operation is used to cause the plurality of ion collectors to be bowed out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 18, wherein thermal cycles is used to bow the plurality of ion collectors out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 18, wherein semi-conductor lithography is used to bow the plurality of ion collectors out of plane with their respective bond pads to form the three dimensional arrangement. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, wherein: the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge has a length that ranges from 1 millimeter (mm) to 20 mms, a height that is approximately the height of one to two semi-conductor wafers; and the electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge has a trench, wherein a width of the trench is approximately 0.5 mm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, wherein the plurality of ion collectors are formed out of a refractory metal or a refractory metal alloy. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The electronic portion of the MEMs ion gauge of claim 12, wherein all bond pads are approximately 5000 to 6000 microns from a trench associated with the ion gauge substrate.