An on-chip micro vacuum generation device and method

Abstract

This invention provides an on-chip micro-vacuum generation device and method. The device includes: an electron emission and collection structure comprising an insulating substrate, a pair of through electrodes formed on the insulating substrate, an electron emitter located on the substrate and connected to the through electrodes, and a first collector electrode arranged closely around the periphery of the substrate; an insulating spacer layer located on the side of the electron emission and collection structure with the electron emitter, and surrounding the electron emitter to form a through cavity between the electron emission and collection structure and the second collector electrode; and a second collector electrode located on the side of the insulating spacer layer away from the electron emission and collection structure, for capturing ions reaching the second collector electrode via the through cavity. The device proposed in this invention has a simple structure, good vacuum pumping effect, and high vacuum pumping efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum device technology, and in particular to an on-chip micro vacuum generation device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Precise and efficient vacuum generation is an indispensable key technology in vacuum-related fields. Vacuum generation typically utilizes vacuum pumps, such as mechanical pumps, diffusion pumps, turbomolecular pumps, ion pumps, sublimation pumps, and cryogenic pumps. However, these traditional vacuum pumps are usually manufactured using mechanical methods, resulting in drawbacks such as large size, high mass, high energy consumption, and high cost. To expand the application scenarios of vacuum generation technology, current vacuum electronic devices are developing towards miniaturization, on-chip integration, and consolidation.

[0003] Chinese patent application No. 2022117368778, entitled "An On-Chip Micro Ion Pump and Its Fabrication Method," discloses an on-chip micro ion pump comprising an electron emission layer, a first spacer layer, an electron acceleration layer, a second spacer layer, and an ion adsorption layer. However, this structure has a relatively complex interlayer structure, resulting in low ionization efficiency and failing to meet the operational requirements of high-vacuum electronic devices. In other words, although there are currently improved vacuum pump solutions for on-chip miniaturization, on-chip micro vacuum pumps have not yet achieved a high-vacuum environment and exhibit low vacuum extraction efficiency. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device with a simple structure, a wide applicable vacuum range, and high operating efficiency.

[0004] Furthermore, existing vacuum gauges and vacuum pumps are all independent devices. Vacuum systems typically require both a vacuum gauge and a vacuum pump to simultaneously measure and acquire vacuum, resulting in bulky devices that are inconvenient in practical use. Therefore, designing an integrated device with vacuum acquisition and measurement functions is an unresolved problem. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide an on-chip micro vacuum generation device and method, which not only has a simple device structure, but also achieves a lower ambient vacuum level and has a high vacuum pumping efficiency.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides an on-chip micro vacuum generating device, the device comprising:

[0007] An electron emission and collection structure includes an insulating substrate, a pair of through electrodes formed on the insulating substrate, an electron emitter located on the substrate and connected to the pair of through electrodes, and a first collection electrode arranged closely around the periphery of the substrate; the pair of through electrodes is used to be applied with a positive voltage to drive the electron emitter to emit electrons;

[0008] An insulating spacer layer is located on the side of the electron emission and collection structure with the electron emitter, and surrounds the electron emitter to form a through cavity between the electron emission and collection structure and the second collector electrode;

[0009] The second collecting electrode is located on the side of the insulating spacer layer away from the electron emission and collecting structure;

[0010] The first collector is used to collect electrons emitted by an electron emitter when a positive voltage is applied, and the second collector is used to capture ions that reach the second collector via the through-cavity when a negative voltage is applied; or, the first collector is used to collect ions generated by ionization when a negative voltage is applied, and the second collector is used to capture electrons that reach the second collector via the through-cavity when a positive voltage is applied.

[0011] In some embodiments of the invention, when the second collecting electrode is used to capture ions by applying a negative voltage, the device further includes an ion adsorption layer located on the surface of the second collecting electrode facing the through-cavity side, for capturing ions that reach the ion adsorption layer via the through-cavity.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electron emitter is a filamentary or sheet-like thermionic electron emitter;

[0013] The electron emitter arches away from the insulating substrate to form a heat dissipation gap between the electron emitter and the insulating substrate; or, the electron emitter is located in a trench on the substrate between the electrode pairs, and the electron emitter is at least partially suspended above the trench.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the device further includes:

[0015] The second chamber is connected to the first chamber through a gas channel provided on the insulating spacer layer, or the second chamber is connected to the first chamber through a gas channel provided on the second collecting electrode;

[0016] The first chamber is formed by the electron emission and collection structure, the insulating spacer layer, and the second collecting electrode as described above.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the device is used to achieve vacuuming by applying a constant voltage to an electron emitter, a first collector, and a second collector in a constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode;

[0018] The device also includes a current stabilizing circuit, which is used to control the electron current on the first or second collector electrode to be constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter in the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, so as to achieve device vacuuming; the current stabilizing circuit is also used to control the ion current on the second collector electrode to be constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter or the first collector electrode in the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, or to control the ion current on the first collector electrode to be constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter or the second collector electrode, so as to achieve device vacuuming.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the device further includes a detection circuit for detecting the ion current on the second collector or the first collector in a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, so as to determine the device vacuum level based on the electron current and the detected ion current.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the current stabilizing circuit includes a current conversion sub-circuit, a differential signal sub-circuit, and a feedback regulation sub-circuit;

[0021] The current conversion sub-circuit is used to collect ion current or electron current, convert the collected ion current or electron current into a corresponding voltage signal, and transmit the voltage signal to the difference signal sub-circuit; the difference signal sub-circuit is used to obtain a voltage difference signal based on the pre-stored corresponding reference voltage value and voltage signal, and transmit the voltage difference signal to the feedback adjustment sub-circuit; the feedback adjustment sub-circuit is used to adjust the power on the electron emitter or the first collector based on the voltage difference signal, or adjust the power on the electron emitter or the second collector based on the voltage difference signal.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, in the constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the first collector or the second collector to acquire the electron current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter.

[0023] In the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply used to apply a negative voltage to the second collector to collect the ion current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter or the first collector; or, in the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply used to apply a negative voltage to the first collector to collect the ion current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter or the second collector.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, the device further includes:

[0025] A mode controller, including a switching component, is used to switch the device to a constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, a constant ion flow-vacuum acquisition mode, or a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode.

[0026] Another aspect of the present invention provides an on-chip micro vacuum generation method, utilizing the device described above, the method comprising:

[0027] In constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the through electrode with a positive voltage applies emits electrons to the electron emitter of the driving electron emission and collection structure, and the first collector with a positive voltage applies collects the electrons emitted by the electron emitter; the second collector with a negative voltage applies captures ions that reach the second collector via the through cavity; or, in constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the through electrode with a positive voltage applies emits electrons to the electron emitter of the driving electron emission and collection structure, and the first collector with a negative voltage applies collects the ionized ions; the second collector with a positive voltage applies collects electrons that reach the second collector via the through cavity.

[0028] The electron emission and collection structure includes an insulating substrate, a pair of through electrodes formed on the insulating substrate, an electron emitter located on the substrate and connected to the pair of through electrodes, and a first collection electrode arranged closely around the periphery of the substrate; the through cavity is formed between the electron emission and collection structure and the second collection electrode by an insulating spacer layer located on the side of the electron emitter of the electron emission and collection structure surrounding the electron emitter; the second collection electrode is located on the side of the insulating spacer layer away from the electron emission and collection structure.

[0029] In the on-chip micro vacuum generation device and method proposed in this invention, the on-chip micro vacuum generation device includes an electron emission and collection structure, an insulating spacer layer, and a second collection electrode. Vacuum generation can be achieved by applying corresponding voltages to the through-electrode pair, the insulating spacer layer, and the second collection electrode. The on-chip micro vacuum device designed in this application is not only simple in structure and small in size, but also achieves a lower device vacuum level and has high operating efficiency.

[0030] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will also become apparent in part to those skilled in the art upon studying the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained by means of the structures specifically pointed out in the description and drawings.

[0031] Those skilled in the art will understand that the objectives and advantages achievable with this invention are not limited to those specifically described above, and that the above and other objectives achievable with this invention will become clearer from the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The components in the drawings are not drawn to scale but are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. For ease of illustration and description of certain parts of the invention, corresponding portions in the drawings may be enlarged, i.e., may appear larger relative to other components in an exemplary device actually manufactured according to the invention. In the drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an on-chip micro vacuum generating device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the insulating spacer layer and the second collector electrode in an on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the electron emission and collection structure in an on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device formed by the first chamber and the second chamber in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a bonding method for a single on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of a bonding method for a single on-chip micro vacuum generating device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the batch fabrication of on-chip micro vacuum generation devices in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the process for mass-producing on-chip micro vacuum generating devices in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of an on-chip micro vacuum generating device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a circuit board used for switching device operating modes in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 11This is a circuit connection diagram of a constant pressure-vacuum acquisition mode in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection for a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 13 This is a circuit connection diagram of a constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 14 This is a circuit connection diagram of a constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the working mode switching scheme of an on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the switching circuit between the control power supply and the control circuit in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a mode controller switching device operating modes based on control signals in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the current variation of on-chip micro vacuum acquisition devices with different structures in constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram showing the change of the internal vacuum level of an on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device over time in a constant pressure-vacuum acquisition mode, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0052] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. Here, the illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this invention are used to explain the invention, but are not intended to limit the invention.

[0053] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring the invention with unnecessary details, only the structures and / or processing steps closely related to the solution according to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the invention are omitted.

[0054] It should be emphasized that the term "including / comprises" as used herein refers to the presence of a feature, element, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, or components.

[0055] It should also be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the term "connection" in this article can refer not only to a direct connection, but also to an indirect connection involving an intermediary.

[0056] In the following description, embodiments of the invention will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar parts, or the same or similar steps.

[0057] Since current on-chip micro vacuum pump devices cannot meet the requirements for achieving high vacuum levels and pumping efficiency, this application provides an on-chip micro vacuum device with advantages such as small size, simple structure, wide vacuum range, and high operating efficiency. Furthermore, the on-chip micro device proposed in this application can be used for both vacuum measurement and vacuum acquisition, overcoming the shortcomings of current ionization vacuum measurement devices, which have relatively complex structures and narrow vacuum measurement ranges.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the on-chip micro vacuum generation device of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the structure of the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application includes:

[0059] The electron emission and collection structure 110 includes an insulating substrate 111, a pair of through electrodes 113 formed on the insulating substrate 111, an electron emitter 115 located on the substrate 111 and connected to the pair of through electrodes 113, and a first collecting electrode 117 arranged closely around the periphery of the substrate 111; the pair of through electrodes 113 is used to drive the electron emitter 115 to emit electrons by applying a positive voltage; the electron emission and collection structure 110 is used to emit and collect electrons or to emit and collect ions;

[0060] An insulating spacer layer 130 is located on the side of the electron emission and collection structure 110 with an electron emitter 115, and surrounds the electron emitter 115 to form a through cavity 131 between the electron emission and collection structure 110 and the second collector 150.

[0061] The second collecting electrode 150 is located on the side of the insulating spacer layer 130 away from the electron emission and collecting structure 110;

[0062] The first collector 117 is used to collect electrons emitted by the electron emitter 115 when a positive voltage is applied, and the second collector 150 is used to capture ions that reach the second collector 150 through the through-cavity when a negative voltage is applied; or, the first collector 117 is used to collect ions generated by ionization when a negative voltage is applied, and the second collector 150 is used to capture electrons that reach the second collector 150 through the through-cavity when a positive voltage is applied.

[0063] More specifically, the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application may include the following three main structures: an electron emission and collection structure 110, a first collector 130, and a second collector 150. The electron emission and collection structure 110, the insulating spacer layer 130, and the second collector 150 may form a closed chamber. For example, the through-electrode pair 113 (including the first through-electrode 1131 and the second through-electrode 1132) in the electron emission and collection structure 110 may be driven by a driving voltage V. dri (For example, the first through electrode 1131 is grounded, and the second through electrode 1132 is connected to the positive terminal of the external driving power supply; or, the second through electrode 1132 is grounded, and the first through electrode 1131 is connected to the positive terminal of the external driving power supply, with the driving voltage V...) dri A positive bias voltage (V) is applied to activate the electron emitter 115, causing it to emit electrons; the first collector 117 can be positively biased by a voltage V. acc In order to collect electrons emitted by electron emitter 115, thereby generating an electron current I. e The second collector 150 is subjected to a negative bias voltage V. col In order to collect positive ions formed by the ionization of electrons and gas molecules within the cavity 131 (for simplicity, all ions mentioned below refer to positive ions), thereby forming an ion current I. i For example, a driving voltage V can be applied to the through electrode pair 113. dri To activate the electron emitter 115 and cause it to emit electrons; the first collector 117 can also be negatively biased by a voltage V. col This allows ions to be collected and an ionic current I to be generated. i The second collector 150 is positively biased by a voltage V. acc To collect electrons emitted by electron emitter 115.

[0064] As an example, to ensure the enclosure of the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application, a voltage is applied to the electron emitter 115 using through electrodes. The electron emission and collection structure 110 includes at least one through electrode pair 113 and a corresponding electron emitter 115. One through electrode pair 113 and a correspondingly connected electron emitter 115 can constitute an electron emission source 114 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 (As shown in circle (b)). Furthermore, the insulating spacer layer 130 includes at least one through-cavity 131. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown in (a), the insulating spacer layer 130 has a through cavity 131.

[0065] like Figure 3As shown, to facilitate the collection of electrons emitted from various directions by the electron emitter 115 or ions generated by gas ionization, the first collecting electrode 117 can be arranged around the substrate 111 (i.e., the first collecting electrode 117 is located around the periphery of the substrate 111), so that the first collecting electrode 117 has a sufficient area to collect most of the electrons emitted by the electron emitter 115 or most of the ionized ions. Moreover, the surrounding arrangement allows the electrons emitted from the electron emitter 115 to have a longer movement path (i.e., the electrons emitted by the electron emitter 115 have sufficient movement space), thereby improving the ionization efficiency. In addition, the electron emission and collection structure 110 may also include an insulating layer 118 arranged around the first collecting electrode 117 (e.g., ...). Figure 3 As shown in (e) and (f) in the diagram), an insulating spacer layer 130 may be formed on the insulating layer 118, so that the entire surface of the electron emitter 115 and the first collector 117 is exposed in the through cavity 131.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present invention, since the first collector 117 and the second collector 150 are respectively subjected to positive bias or negative bias, the insulating spacer 130 should be made of insulating material to ensure the insulation between the two electrodes. The insulating material that can be used to prepare the insulating spacer 130 includes one or more of the following materials: glass, ceramic, sapphire, silicon carbide and intrinsic silicon.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the second collecting electrode 150 is used to capture ions by applying a negative voltage, the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device proposed in this application may further include an ion adsorption layer 151, which is attached to the surface of the second collecting electrode 150 facing the through cavity 131 (since the second collecting electrode 150 has ion capture capability, this application does not specifically limit the coverage area of ​​the ion adsorption layer 151), for capturing ions that reach the ion adsorption layer 151 via the through cavity 131.

[0068] The second collector 150 can be made of a conductive material with ion and electron capture capabilities. For example, the conductive material used to prepare the second collector 150 can be a conductive silicon wafer or a metal with conductive properties. Furthermore, the ion adsorption layer 151 can be prepared from an ion adsorbent, such as at least one of titanium, barium, aluminum, zinc, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, iron, and zirconium. The structures of the second collector 150 and the ion adsorption layer 151 can be as follows: Figure 2 As shown in (b) of the diagram.

[0069] As an example, a thin film, namely an ion adsorption layer 151, can be formed on the surface of the second collector 150 using an ion adsorbent material by means of electroplating, deposition or magnetron sputtering.

[0070] The substrate 111 ensures insulation between the through electrode pair 113 (i.e., the first through electrode 1131 and the second through electrode 1132) and the first collector 117; therefore, the substrate 111 can be made of an insulating material. The material used to fabricate the substrate 111 can be the same as or different from the material used to fabricate the insulating spacer layer 130. For example, since the through electrode pair 113 is disposed on the insulating substrate 111, the insulating substrate 111 can be a through-silicon via (TSV) substrate or a through-glass via (TGV) substrate.

[0071] The first through electrode 1131 and the second through electrode 1132 are used to provide voltage to the electron emitter 115 and can be made of conductive materials. For example, the materials used to prepare the through electrode pair 113 include one or more of metals (such as copper and tungsten), graphite, conductive silicon, and metal-containing conductive pastes. The materials used to prepare the first through electrode 1131 and the second through electrode 1132 can be conductive materials, and the materials used to prepare each electrode are not necessarily the same.

[0072] In addition, the material used to prepare the first collector 117 can be a conductive material with ion and electron capture functions, for example, conductive silicon can be used to prepare the first collector 117.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electron emitter 115 in the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application may be a thermionic electron emitter (i.e., the electron emission source 114 is a thermionic electron emission source), and the electron emitter may be filament-like or sheet-like, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto. The two ends of the electron emitter are respectively connected to a first through electrode 1131 and a second through electrode 1132, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the specific configuration of the electron emitter can be as follows:

[0074] The electron emitter arches away from the insulating substrate 111 to form a heat dissipation gap between the electron emitter and the insulating substrate 111; or, the electron emitter is provided with a trench 119 on the substrate 111 that passes through the electrode pair 113, and the electron emitter is at least partially suspended above the trench 119.

[0075] Since the thermionic emitter needs to generate Joule heat by applying a voltage through the through electrode to 113 to emit electrons, there needs to be a sufficient heat dissipation gap between the thermionic emitter and the substrate 111. For example, providing trenches 119 helps to dissipate heat from the thermionic emitter, so trenches 119 can be provided one-to-one with the thermionic emitter.

[0076] As an example, the thermionic emitter can be a conductive filament with a thermionic material on its surface, or a filament made of the thermionic material. The conductive filament may be made of at least one of iridium, platinum, tungsten, and rhenium; the thermionic material may be made of at least one of yttrium oxide, aluminum oxide, barium oxide, lanthanum oxide, gadolinium oxide, scandium oxide, and calcium oxide.

[0077] The materials used to fabricate the on-chip micro vacuum generation device mentioned above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, this application does not specifically limit the materials used to fabricate the insulating substrate 111, the through electrode pair 113, the electron emitter 115, the first collector 117, the insulating spacer layer 130, the second collector 150, and the ion adsorption layer 151.

[0078] The electron emission source 114 in this application can also be other types of electron sources besides thermionic emission sources, such as on-chip micro-tunneling field emission electron sources, Spindt on-chip electron sources, silicon tip field emission electron sources, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) multilayer tunneling electron sources, and surface tunneling electron sources based on resistive switching materials, etc. This application does not specifically limit the type of electron emission source.

[0079] As an example, in order to facilitate the collection of electrons emitted by the electron emitter 115 or electrons generated by gas ionization by the first collector 117, the height of the substrate 111 may not be lower than the height of the first collector 117. For example, the height of the substrate 111 is 3 mm and the height of the first collector 117 is 2.8 mm.

[0080] The above limitation that the height of the substrate 111 is not lower than that of the first collector 117 is merely an example, and this application is not limited thereto. It is only required that the first collector 117 be able to collect most of the electrons or ions.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present invention, the overall size of the on-chip micro ionization vacuum sensor can be 1*1*1mm to 20*20*5mm, the height (or thickness) of the first collecting electrode 117 is 0.3mm to 3mm, the height (or thickness) of the insulating spacer layer 130 is 0.5mm to 4mm, and the height (or thickness) of the second collecting electrode 150 is 0.1mm to 0.3mm.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present invention, the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application further includes a second chamber 200, and the first chamber 100 and the second chamber 200 can together form a closed chamber. For example... Figure 4 As shown in (a), the second chamber 200 can communicate with the first chamber 100 through a gas channel 133 disposed on the insulating spacer layer 130; or, as ... Figure 4As shown in (b), the second chamber 200 can be connected to the first chamber 100 through a gas channel 153 disposed on the second collector 150. The first chamber 100 is a chamber formed by the electron emission and collection structure 110, the insulating spacer layer 130 and the second collector 150 in the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device.

[0083] The second chamber 200 is a functional chamber that can be used to form on-chip atomic gas chambers, on-chip X-ray sources, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) gyroscopes or MEMS accelerometers. Specifically, it measures or reduces the vacuum level inside a device via the first chamber 100, and other on-chip vacuum electronic devices can be fabricated or placed in the second chamber, which is connected to the first chamber 100. Furthermore, Figure 4 Gas channels 133 and 153 are merely examples; for instance, gas channels 133 and 153 could also be gas conduits, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0084] As an example, this application can indirectly measure and / or reduce the vacuum level of the second chamber by measuring and / or reducing the vacuum level of the first chamber 100, therefore... Figure 4 As shown in (c), during the process of measuring and / or reducing the vacuum level of the first chamber 100, two electron emission sources 114' and 114" can be provided in the first chamber 100. Electron emission source 114' is used for device vacuum measurement, and electron emission source 114" is used for device vacuum acquisition. For example, if it is necessary to measure the vacuum level of the second chamber, an external power supply can be used to apply a voltage to electron emission source 114', and a corresponding voltage can be applied to the first collector 117 and the second collector 150 to measure the vacuum level of the first chamber 100, thereby obtaining the vacuum level of the second chamber connected to the first chamber 100.

[0085] This application does not specifically limit the shape of various structures in the on-chip micro vacuum generating device. For example, the through cavity 131, gas channel 133 and gas channel 153 in this application can be square, circular or other shapes.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electron emission and collection structure 110, the insulating spacer layer 130, and the second collecting electrode 150 can be fabricated using micro-nano fabrication processes, and the electron emission and collection structure 110, the insulating spacer layer 130, and the second collecting electrode 150 can be sequentially bonded by means of anodic bonding, thereby forming a closed chamber. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, this application provides a bonding method and process for a single on-chip micro vacuum generating device, and the bonding sequence can be specifically as follows:

[0087] An insulating spacer 130 is placed on the side of the electron emission and collection structure 110 having an electron emitter 115, and the electron emission and collection structure 110 and the insulating spacer 130 are bonded using an anodic bonding process to obtain a first component.

[0088] The first component is placed on one side of the second collector 150 with the ion adsorption layer 151. The first component and the second collector 150 are bonded using an anodic bonding process, and a single on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device can be obtained.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present invention, a method and process for mass-producing on-chip micro-vacuum devices using wafer fabrication methods are provided, such as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0090] Step S11: Provide a first parent layer, a second parent layer, and a third parent layer. The first parent layer has N periodically arranged electron emission and collection structures 110, the second parent layer has N periodically arranged insulating spacer layers 130, and the third parent layer has N periodically arranged second collector electrodes 150.

[0091] The first, second, and third parent layers can be prepared using existing processing techniques, which will not be elaborated here.

[0092] Step S12: The first master layer, the second master layer and the third master layer are bonded sequentially using anodizing bonding process.

[0093] For example, the first and second parent layers can be bonded together using an anodic bonding process according to a set installation position to form a first bonded structure. Then, the third parent layer can be bonded to the first bonded structure according to a set installation position to obtain a second bonded structure.

[0094] Step S13: Cut the second bonding structure to obtain multiple on-chip micro vacuum generation devices.

[0095] The bonding process of the on-chip micro vacuum generation device described above has multiple bonding sequences. The embodiments of this application only provide one bonding sequence for illustration, and the bonding sequence can also be adjusted according to actual conditions. This application does not specifically limit the bonding sequence. Furthermore, the above-described bonding of the layers using anodic bonding is only an example, and other bonding methods, such as atomic bonding, can also be used.

[0096] The on-chip micro-vacuum generating device proposed in this application can achieve vacuum generation inside the device, that is, the on-chip micro-vacuum generating device of this application can function as a vacuum pump. Figure 9 As shown, its working principle is as follows:

[0097] Taking the first collector 117 collecting electrons and the second collector 150 collecting ions as an example, when the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application operates as a vacuum pump, by applying a driving voltage to the first through electrode 1131 and the second through electrode 1132, the electron emitter 115 is activated and emits electrons. Since the first collector 130 is positively biased, the electrons can move towards the first collector 117 under the action of the electric field. During this process, some of the emitted electrons collide with gas molecules in the through cavity 131 and ionize to generate ions. Since the second collector 150 is negatively biased, the ionized ions collide with the second collector 150 under the action of the negative bias and are thus adsorbed by the second collector 150, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the vacuum level inside the device. Furthermore, in order to improve the vacuum pumping effect and enhance the ability of the second collector 150 to consume ions, this application can also cover the surface of the second collector 150 with an ion adsorption layer 151 with ion trapping function. When the ions generated by ionization collide with the ion adsorption layer 151 under the action of negative bias, the atoms of the ion adsorbent material in the ion adsorption layer 151 are sputtered out, exposing the surface of the new ion adsorbent material. At this time, the gas molecules in the cavity 131 and the sputtered atoms of the ion adsorbent material can be consumed through physical adsorption or chemical reaction, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the vacuum pump.

[0098] Furthermore, the operating voltage range of the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application can be as follows: the operating voltage V applied to the electron emitter 115 dri The operating voltage V applied to the first collector 117 can be between -50V and 50V. acc (relative to V) dri The operating voltage V applied to the second collector 150 can be between 50V and 5000V. col (relative to V) dri The voltage range of the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application can be between -50V and -5000V. The voltage range can also be expressed as follows: the driving voltage applied by the driving power supply 311 to the through electrode pair 113 can be -50V to 50V; the electron accelerating voltage applied by the electron accelerating power supply 313 to the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 can be 50V to 5000V; and the ion collecting voltage applied by the ion collecting power supply 315 to the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 can be -50V to -5000V. Furthermore, the electron current I generated on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 in this application device... e =1μA~10mA, the ion current I on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 i =1pA~10mA.

[0099] The on-chip micro vacuum generation device of this application can operate normally as a vacuum pump (to reduce the vacuum level inside the device), and there is no need to measure the ion current I during the vacuuming process. i or electron current I e The size. The on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device operates in four modes: constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode, and constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode.

[0100] like Figure 10 As shown, since the insulating substrate 111 of the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application is provided with a through electrode pair 113, and the first collector 117 is arranged around the insulating substrate 111, the through electrode pair 113 and the first collector 117 in the electron emission and collection structure 110 can be vertically led out from the back side of the substrate 111 and aligned with the pins 353 on the circuit board, thereby leading the first collector 117 and the through electrode pair 113 out onto the circuit board. The on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application is fixed by a conductive clamp 355, thereby leading the second collector 150, which is in contact with the clamp 355, out onto the circuit board as well. A control circuit 330 (or a control power supply 310 and a control circuit 330) can be externally connected to the pads 351 on the circuit board, and the operating mode of the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application can be switched by switching the control circuit 330.

[0101] As an example, Figure 10 The circuit board design shown is merely an example. The positions and connections of the pins 353 and pads 351 on the circuit board can be designed according to requirements, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0102] In constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the voltage applied to the electron emitter 115 by the driving power supply 311 (or the driving voltage V applied to the through electrode pair 113) dri The electron accelerating voltage V applied to the first collector 117 by the electron accelerating power supply 313 acc The ion collection voltage V applied to the second collector 150 by the ion collection power supply 315 col All remain unchanged, or the driving voltage V applied by the driving power supply 311 to the through electrode pair 113 remains unchanged. dri The electron accelerating voltage V applied to the second collector 150 by the electron accelerating power supply 313 acc The ion collection voltage V applied to the first collector 117 by the ion collection power supply 315 colAll remain unchanged. That is, in the constant-pressure-vacuum acquisition mode, vacuuming can be achieved simply by controlling the power supply 310 (including the driving power supply 311 connected to the through electrode pair 113, the electron accelerating power supply 313 with its positive terminal connected to the first collector 117 or the second collector 150, and the ion collecting power supply 315 with its negative terminal connected to the second collector 150 or the first collector 117) to apply a fixed bias voltage to the electron emitter 115, the first collector 117, and the second collector 150. The connection method between each electrode and each power supply can be as follows: Figure 11 As shown, the driving power supply 311, the electron accelerating power supply 313, and the ion collecting power supply 315 apply fixed bias voltages to the through electrode pair 113 (i.e., both ends of the electron emitter 115), the first collector 117, and the second collector 150, respectively. However, the constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode has a significant disadvantage: as the vacuum level inside the device increases, the electron current I... e The size and rate of decrease of vacuum also change. That is, as the vacuum level increases, the rate of change of the device vacuum level gradually slows down, and the electron current I... e The value gradually tends to be constant. Therefore, in order to ensure the stability of the vacuum acquisition device, the vacuum acquisition function of the device can also be realized by means of the control circuit 330.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present invention, to achieve the vacuum acquisition function of the above-mentioned device, the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application may further include a control circuit 330. The control circuit 330 may include a current stabilizing circuit 331, which is used to acquire the electron current I on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 in both the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode. e The power on the electron emitter 115 is adjusted to control the electron current on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 to remain constant, thereby achieving device evacuation. The current stabilizing circuit 331 is also used to acquire the ion current I on the second collector 150 in constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode. i The current stabilizing circuit 331 is used to adjust the power on the electron emitter 115 or the first collector 117, thereby controlling the ion current on the second collector 150 to remain constant, so as to achieve device vacuuming; or, the current stabilizing circuit 331 is also used to collect the ion current I on the first collector 117 in constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode. i The power on the second collector 150 or the electron emitter 115 is adjusted to control the ion current on the first collector to be constant, thereby achieving device vacuuming.

[0104] As an example, the current stabilizing circuit 331 is used to maintain the electron current I on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 through a feedback regulation mechanism in both the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode. eThe ion current I on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 is kept constant, or, in constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, is maintained. i Constant. In the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, since the electron current formed on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 by the electrons emitted by the electron emitter 115 may fluctuate, the electron current I can be kept constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter 115. e Constant; similarly, in constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the ion current I can be adjusted by regulating the power on the electron emitter 115 or the first collector 117 (or the second collector 150). i Constant.

[0105] Furthermore, the current stabilizing circuit 331 includes a current conversion sub-circuit, a differential signal sub-circuit, and a feedback regulation sub-circuit. The current conversion sub-circuit is used to acquire the ion current I on the second collector 150 or the first collector 117. i or electron current I e The collected ion current I i or electron current I e The voltage difference signal is converted into a corresponding voltage signal and transmitted to the differential signal sub-circuit. The differential signal sub-circuit is used to obtain a voltage difference signal based on the pre-stored corresponding reference voltage value and the converted voltage signal, and transmits the voltage difference signal to the feedback regulation sub-circuit. The feedback regulation sub-circuit is used to adjust the current and / or voltage (i.e., power) on the electron emitter 115 or the first collector 117 according to the voltage difference signal, or the feedback regulation sub-circuit is used to adjust the power on the electron emitter 115 or the second collector 150 according to the voltage difference signal.

[0106] In some embodiments of the present invention, the control circuit 330 mentioned in this application further includes a detection circuit 333, which is used to detect the ion current I on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 in a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode. i The magnitude of is based on a constant electron current I. e and the detected ion current I i Determine the vacuum level of the device.

[0107] This invention does not specifically limit the connection relationship between the control circuit 330 and the control power supply 310, nor the specific form of the control circuit; the connection methods described below are merely examples. Specifically, in addition to the constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the vacuum acquisition device in this application can achieve the following vacuum acquisition modes through the control circuit 330:

[0108] (1) In the constant electron current-vacuum measurement mode: the electron current I is maintained by the current stabilizing circuit 331.e Constant (using the current stabilizing circuit 331 based on the electron current I collected on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150) e (To adjust the power on the electron emitter 115), and to detect the weak ion current through the detection circuit 333. Because the electron current I... e Constant, ultimately can be determined based on the ion current I. i The magnitude of the pressure is used to characterize the pressure changes inside the device.

[0109] The device in the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode can simultaneously perform vacuum measurement and vacuum acquisition functions. Considering that the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application can complete the measurement process in a short time (the measurement time is usually measured in seconds) when it is used as a vacuum gauge to measure the vacuum level inside the device, the pressure change inside the device in the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode is negligible. Furthermore, when the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application acts as a vacuum pump to reduce the gas pressure inside the device, it needs to maintain the vacuum pump mode for a certain period of time. Therefore, if the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode is required, a longer working time can be set to enable the device to achieve the effect of reducing the vacuum level.

[0110] In the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the working principle of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is as follows: the electron current I on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150 is collected through the current conversion sub-circuit. e The voltage signal is then converted into a voltage signal. A difference signal sub-circuit is used to compare the acquired voltage signal with a pre-set reference voltage value to obtain a difference signal. A feedback regulation sub-circuit is used to regulate the power of the electron emitter 115 (by adjusting the current or voltage on the electron emitter 115 or the through-electrode pair 113), thereby achieving the electron current I. e The constancy of.

[0111] Taking the first collecting electrode 117 for collecting electrons and the second collecting electrode 150 for collecting ions as an example, such as Figure 12 As shown, in the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is connected to the negative terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313 (a power supply for applying a positive voltage to the first collector 117), the output terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is connected to the negative terminal of the driving power supply 311 (a power supply for applying a positive voltage to the electron emitter 115), and the positive terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315 is connected to the input terminal of the detection circuit 333. Furthermore, the driving power supply 311 is connected to the through electrode pair 113, the positive terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313 is connected to the first collector 117, and the negative terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315 is connected to the second collector 150.

[0112] exist Figure 12In the circuit, the current conversion sub-circuit includes a current detection unit and a sampling resistor; the differential signal sub-circuit includes a reference voltage value unit and a first operational amplifier; and the feedback adjustment sub-circuit includes a second operational amplifier, an N-type field-effect transistor, and a resistor connected to the negative terminal of the second operational amplifier. The electron current I on the first collector 117 is acquired through the sampling resistor and the current detection unit. e And convert it into a voltage signal V e The obtained voltage signal V e and the corresponding reference voltage value V obtained from the reference voltage value unit ref The input is compared in the first operational amplifier to obtain the difference signal; the power of the electron emitter is adjusted by regulating the conduction level of the N-type field-effect transistor and the resistor connected to the negative terminal of the second operational amplifier according to the magnitude of the difference signal, thereby realizing the electron current I. e The reference voltage value is constant. The reference voltage value pre-stored in the reference voltage value unit includes the reference voltage value corresponding to the first collector 117 and the reference voltage value corresponding to the second collector 150. The two can be the same or different. The present invention is not limited to this and can be set according to the requirements.

[0113] Furthermore, when the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application is used as an ionization vacuum sensor to measure the vacuum level inside the device, the ion current on the second collecting electrode typically covers 5-10 orders of magnitude. Therefore, the detection circuit 333 used to detect the weak ion current needs to be equipped with multiple different sampling resistors to detect the ion current I spanning 5-10 orders of magnitude. i It is divided into different measurement ranges, and based on the ion current I i Select the appropriate setting for measurement.

[0114] For example, such as Figure 12 As shown, the detection circuit 333 includes a transimpedance amplifier circuit consisting of a third operational amplifier and multiple bridging resistors (the first and second resistors in the figure). The transimpedance amplifier circuit converts the ion current I... i Converted to voltage signal V i The microcontroller reads the voltage signal V. i Then, the magnitude of the ion current is determined (i.e., the range of the ion current), and then the opening and closing of each switch (such as switch 1 and switch 2 in the figure) is controlled according to the magnitude of the ion current, thereby switching the resistance value of the transimpedance amplifier circuit (i.e. the total resistance value of the bridging resistor) to select the appropriate measurement range and realize the measurement of weak ion current signals.

[0115] exist Figure 12In this process, when the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device operates as an ionization vacuum sensor (vacuum gauge), its operation is as follows: The electron emission and collection structure 110 is activated and emits electrons. Since the first collector 130 is positively biased, the electrons move towards the first collector 117 under the action of the electric field. During this process, some of the emitted electrons collide with gas molecules in the through cavity 131 and ionize to produce ions, while some of the emitted electrons are captured by the first collector 117 to form an electron current I. e Because a negative bias voltage is applied to the second collector 150, the ions generated by ionization can move towards the second collector 150 under the action of the electric field, and are eventually captured by the second collector 150 to form an ion current I. i Based on the ionization theory of gases (I i =SPI e ), Ion current I i and electron current I e The ratio of I to the gas pressure in the environment being measured is directly proportional to the gas pressure in the test environment, therefore I can be used. i / I e This is used to characterize the gas pressure changes in the environment under test, thereby measuring the internal gas pressure of the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application.

[0116] (2) In the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode, the electron current I is fixed by adjusting the power of the electron emitter 115 (by applying a feedback current or feedback voltage to the electron emitter 115). e The first collecting electrode 117 or the second collecting electrode 150 used for collecting ions remains unchanged, and is not connected to the detection circuit 333, but is only supplied with a negative voltage V by the ion collection power supply 315. col .

[0117] Taking the first collecting electrode 117 for collecting electrons and the second collecting electrode 150 for collecting ions as an example, such as Figure 13 As shown, in the constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, the working principle and connection method of the current stabilizing circuit 331 can be the same as in the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, and since the vacuum pump does not need to generate ion current I... i The detection, in the constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, only requires applying a fixed bias voltage V to the second collector 150 using the ion collection power supply 315. col That is, in the constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 (i.e., the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit) is connected to the negative terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313, the negative terminal of the driving power supply 311 is connected to the output terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 (i.e., the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit), and the driving power supply 311 is connected to the through electrode pair 113, the positive terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313 is connected to the first collecting electrode 117, and the negative terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315 is connected to the second collecting electrode 150.

[0118] In the constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, if the first collector 117 is used to collect ions and the second collector 150 is used to collect electrons, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the second collector to collect the electron current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter.

[0119] (3) In the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the ion current I on the second collector 150 can be maintained by adjusting the power of the electron emitter 115 or the first collector 117 (adjusting the voltage or current on the electron emitter 115 or the first collector 117). i It remains unchanged.

[0120] In the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the ion current I is mainly maintained through the feedback regulation mechanism of the current stabilizing circuit 331. i The constant current includes the following two feedback regulation methods: dynamically adjusting the power of the electron emitter 115 through the current stabilizing circuit 331 to maintain the ion current I. i The ion current I is maintained constant, or dynamically adjusted by the current stabilizing circuit 331 to maintain the power on the first collector 117. i Constant. Specifically, the current stabilizing circuit 331 is used based on the ion current I collected from the second collecting electrode 150. i The power of the electron emitter 115 is adjusted, and the electron accelerating power supply 313 provides a constant voltage V to the first collector 117. acc Alternatively, the current stabilizing circuit 331 can be used to measure the ion current I collected from the second collector 150. i The power of the first collector 117 is adjusted, and the drive power supply 311 provides a constant voltage V to the through electrode pair 113. dri .

[0121] Taking the first collecting electrode 117 for collecting electrons and the second collecting electrode 150 for collecting ions as an example, such as Figure 14 As shown, in the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is connected to the positive terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315 (a power supply used to apply a negative voltage to the second collector 150), and the output terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is connected to the negative terminal of the driving power supply 311. Alternatively, the input terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is connected to the positive terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315, and the output terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is connected to the negative terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313. Furthermore, the driving power supply 311 is connected to the through electrode pair 113, the positive terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313 is connected to the first collector 117, and the negative terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315 is connected to the second collector 150.

[0122] exist Figure 14In the circuit, the current conversion sub-circuit includes a sampling resistor and a current detection unit. The differential signal sub-circuit and the feedback regulation sub-circuit are boost circuits built using a boost chip. The process of using this current stabilizing circuit to reduce the internal vacuum level of the device is as follows: The ion current I on the second collector 150 is measured using the sampling resistor and the current detection unit. i Sampling was performed, and the resulting ion current I was recorded. i Converted to voltage signal V i The voltage signal V i The signal is transmitted to the boost circuit, which then compares the pre-stored reference voltage pin V'ref with the acquired voltage signal V. i Compare, if V i If the voltage is greater than V'ref, the voltage on the first collector 117 is reduced through the boost circuit. If V i If the voltage is less than V'ref, the voltage applied to the first collector 117 is increased so that V i The value is the same as that of V'ref, thus achieving control over the ion current I. i Stable control.

[0123] In constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the ion current I on the first collector 117 can also be maintained by adjusting the power of the electron emitter 115 or the second collector 150. i The current remains unchanged. At this point, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply used to apply a negative voltage to the first collector 117 to collect the ion current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter 115 or the second collector 150. With this connection method, the power of the electron emitter 115 can be dynamically adjusted by the current stabilizing circuit 331 to maintain the ion current I. i The ion current I is maintained constant, or by dynamically adjusting the power on the second collector 150 through the current stabilizing circuit 331. i Constant.

[0124] The constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode can maintain a constant rate of decrease in the internal vacuum level of the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device in this application during the process of reducing the internal vacuum level, but this mode will shorten the lifespan of the electron emitter.

[0125] As an example, the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application can be in a vacuum acquisition state (vacuum pump, such as constant pressure-vacuum acquisition mode, constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, or constant ion flow-vacuum acquisition mode), or simultaneously in a vacuum measurement and acquisition state (vacuum gauge and vacuum pump working together, such as constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode). It can be employed as follows: Figure 15The operating mode switching scheme shown is used to ensure the normal operation of the on-chip micro vacuum obtaining device of this application: (a) the device always operates as a vacuum gauge and vacuum pump; (b) the controller mainly operates as a vacuum pump, and switches to vacuum gauge after a certain time interval. After the vacuum level is measured, it switches back to vacuum pump. For example, the ratio of the working time between the vacuum sensor and the ion pump can be 1:5.

[0126] In some embodiments of the present invention, the on-chip micro vacuum generating device proposed in this application further includes:

[0127] The mode controller, including a switching component, can be used to switch the device to a constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, a constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, a constant ion flow-vacuum acquisition mode, or a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode. The mode controller can also be used to freely switch the device to a constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, a constant ion flow-vacuum acquisition mode, a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, or a constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode.

[0128] More specifically, the mode controller can pre-store an operating mode-switch on / off table, which can adjust the operating mode of the vacuum obtaining device based on the on / off state of each switch. For example, such as Figure 16 As shown, switch A is provided at the negative terminal of the driving power supply 311, switch B is provided at the negative terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313, and switch C is provided at the positive terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315. Furthermore, the output terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331 is grounded, and the output terminal of the detection circuit 333 is grounded. To adjust the device to a constant electron current-vacuum measurement mode, switch A is closed to ground the negative terminal of the driving power supply 311, switch B is closed to connect the negative terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313 to the input terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331, and switch C is closed to connect the positive terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315 to the input terminal of the detection circuit 333. To adjust the device to a constant electron current-vacuum measurement mode, switch A is closed to connect the negative terminal of the driving power supply 311 to the output terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331, switch B is closed to connect the negative terminal of the electron accelerating power supply 313 to the input terminal of the current stabilizing circuit 331, and switch C is closed to ground the positive terminal of the ion collecting power supply 315.

[0129] As an example, the mode controller can also be used to identify the received control signal and adjust the operating mode of the device based on the control signal. For example, if the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application needs to operate in the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the mode controller can adjust the device to enter the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement mode according to the corresponding control signal, and adjust the connection relationship between the control power supply 310 and the control circuit 330 based on the pre-stored operating mode-switch on / off table.

[0130] like Figure 17 As shown, if the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application needs to be set to constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the corresponding control signal that the mode controller can recognize is (1) (at this time, the signal control module can pre-store the set electron current value); if the constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode needs to be used, the control signal is (2, (V dir, V acc V col The control signal may include a fixed drive voltage, a first collector voltage, and a second collector voltage; if a constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode is required, the control signal may be (3, I). e ), including a fixed electron current I e If constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode is required, the control signal can be (4, I i ), including a fixed ion current I i After the control signal is input to the signal control module, the mode controller determines the corresponding operating mode and conditions, and then connects the corresponding control circuit by controlling the on / off state of switches A, B, and C, thereby realizing the corresponding device function.

[0131] For example, the on-chip micro vacuum generating device and the signal control module of this application can be connected via a circuit adapter board or cable, and the signal controller can be implemented in the form of a microcontroller.

[0132] The specific circuit designs of the current stabilizing circuit 331 and the detection circuit 333 mentioned in this application are merely examples. Other existing current stabilizing circuits with feedback regulation mechanisms and detection circuits capable of detecting minute ion currents can also be used. This invention is not limited thereto.

[0133] In some embodiments of the present invention, this application proposes an on-chip micro-vacuum acquisition method, which can reduce the vacuum level of the on-chip micro-vacuum acquisition device proposed in this application under different operating modes. The specific solution is as follows:

[0134] In constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the through electrode 113, which is subjected to a positive voltage, drives the electron emitter 115 of the electron emission and collection structure 110 to emit electrons, and the first collector 117, which is subjected to a positive voltage, collects the electrons emitted by the electron emitter 115; the first collector 117, which is subjected to a positive voltage, collects the electrons emitted by the electron emitter; the second collector 150, which is subjected to a negative voltage, captures ions that reach the second collector 150 via the through cavity 131; or, in constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the through electrode 113, which is subjected to a positive voltage, drives the electron emitter 115 of the electron emission and collection structure 110 to emit electrons, and the first collector 117, which is subjected to a negative voltage, collects the ionized ions; the second collector 150, which is subjected to a positive voltage, collects the electrons that reach the second collector 150 via the through cavity 131.

[0135] The electron emission and collection structure 110 includes an insulating substrate 111, a pair of through electrodes 113 formed on the insulating substrate 111, an electron emitter 115 located on the substrate 111 and connected to the pair of through electrodes 113, and a first collection electrode 117 arranged closely around the periphery of the insulating substrate 111; the through cavity 131 is formed between the electron emission and collection structure 110 and the second collection electrode 150 by an insulating spacer layer 130 located on the side of the electron emission and collection structure 110 having the electron emitter 115 surrounding the electron emitter 115; the second collection electrode 150 is located on the side of the insulating spacer layer 130 away from the electron emission and collection structure 110.

[0136] In addition to achieving vacuuming by applying a constant voltage to the electron emitter 115, the first collector 117, and the second collector 150 through the control power supply 310 in the constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the on-chip micro-vacuum acquisition method proposed in this application can also adjust the power of the electron emitter 115 to maintain a constant electron current in the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode by using the current stabilizing circuit 331 to collect the electron current on the first collector 117 or the second collector 150. Furthermore, in the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the ion current on the second collector 150 or the first collector 117 can be measured by the detection circuit 333; and

[0137] In the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the ion current on the second collector 150 is collected by the current stabilizing circuit 331 to adjust the power on the electron emitter 115 or the first collector 117; or, the ion current on the first collector 117 is collected by the current stabilizing circuit 331 to adjust the power on the second collector 150 or the electron emitter 115.

[0138] As an example, the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device proposed in this application can have the following performance advantages in constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode:

[0139] (1) Compared to the five-layer vacuum generating device (the vacuum generating device disclosed in Chinese invention patent application No. 2022117368778, entitled "An On-Chip Micro Ion Pump and Its Preparation Method"), the on-chip micro vacuum generating device of this application (which can be regarded as a three-layer vacuum generating device) not only has the advantages of small size, simple structure and easy processing, but also, as Figure 18 As shown, in the constant pressure-vacuum acquisition mode, the gas pressure inside the fixed device is 1E. -4 Pa, when the electron current is 2E -5 At time A, the ion current of the five-layer vacuum acquisition device is 1E. -10 A, the ion current of the three-layer vacuum acquisition device proposed in this application is 1E. -9 A, that is, under the same electronic current, the ion current of the device in this application is increased by an order of magnitude, that is, the ionization efficiency of the device in this application is increased by an order of magnitude, which means that the device in this application has better vacuuming capability.

[0140] (2) In the constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, it is assumed that the electron accelerating voltage V applied to the first collector 117 by the electron accelerating power supply 313 is... acc The ion collection voltage V applied by the ion collection power supply 315 to the second collector 150 is 150V. col The voltage V applied by the drive power supply 311 to the electron emitter 115 through the through electrode pair 113 is -30V. dri The voltage is 1.43V, and the initial internal pressure of the device is 10Pa. For example... Figure 19 As shown, when the on-chip micro vacuum acquisition device of this application is in constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the ion current I... i and electron current I e The ratio (I) i / I e The pressure gradually decreases with time, indicating that the internal pressure of the device gradually decreases as the evacuation time increases. Furthermore, the on-chip micro-vacuum device of this application, starting from an initial pressure of 10 Pa, can reduce the internal pressure to a limiting pressure of 0.03 Pa after 100 minutes, with an average pressure reduction rate of approximately 0.1 Pa / min. However, current micro-vacuum electronic devices typically utilize nano-getters to reduce the vacuum environment inside a sealed chamber, achieving an optimal vacuum level of only around 0.1 Pa. Therefore, when the on-chip micro-vacuum device of this application is used as a vacuum pump, it can utilize an electron emission source to consume gas molecules within the device, not only maintaining a higher internal vacuum level but also exhibiting a better pressure reduction rate. Experiments show that the on-chip micro-vacuum device proposed in this application can operate within a pressure range of 10 Pa as an ion pump. -5Pa~10 3 Pa.

[0141] The on-chip micro-vacuum acquisition device proposed in this application employs an on-chip electron emission source that is stable, low-power, and resistant to rough vacuum. It utilizes micro-nano fabrication processes to fabricate a small, lightweight, and structurally simple chamber, and combines this with semiconductor processes to achieve on-chip wafer fabrication for mass production of the on-chip micro-vacuum acquisition device. This not only realizes the miniaturization, on-chip integration, and scaling of vacuum electronic devices, but also achieves higher vacuum levels and operating efficiency, while significantly reducing energy consumption costs. Furthermore, this application integrates a vacuum gauge and a vacuum pump, enabling the device to perform both vacuum measurement and vacuum acquisition functions, and providing a wide vacuum measurement range. This application allows for easy switching of the device's operating mode according to actual needs by simply switching the control circuit, greatly expanding the application prospects of vacuum devices.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary components, systems, and methods described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention. When implemented in hardware, it can be, for example, electronic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), appropriate firmware, plug-ins, function cards, etc. When implemented in software, the elements of this invention are programs or code segments used to perform the desired tasks. The programs or code segments can be stored in a machine-readable medium or transmitted over a transmission medium or communication link via data signals carried in a carrier wave.

[0143] It should be clarified that the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and shown as examples. However, the method process of the present invention is not limited to the specific steps described and shown. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order of steps, after understanding the spirit of the present invention.

[0144] In this invention, features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, and / or combined with or in place of features of other embodiments.

[0145] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An on-chip micro vacuum generating device, characterized in that, The device includes: An electron emission and collection structure includes an insulating substrate, a pair of through electrodes formed on the insulating substrate, an electron emitter located on the substrate and connected to the pair of through electrodes, and a first collection electrode arranged closely around the periphery of the substrate; the pair of through electrodes is used to be subjected to a positive voltage to drive the electron emitter to emit electrons; An insulating spacer layer is located on the side of the electron emission and collection structure having the electron emitter, and surrounds the electron emitter to form a through cavity between the electron emission and collection structure and the second collecting electrode; The second collecting electrode is located on the side of the insulating spacer layer away from the electron emission and collecting structure; The first collector is used to collect electrons emitted by an electron emitter when a positive voltage is applied, and the second collector is used to capture ions that reach the second collector via the through-cavity when a negative voltage is applied; or, the first collector is used to collect ionized ions when a negative voltage is applied, and the second collector is used to capture electrons that reach the second collector via the through-cavity when a positive voltage is applied.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the second collecting electrode is used to capture ions by applying a negative voltage, the device further includes an ion adsorption layer located on the surface of the second collecting electrode facing the through-cavity, for capturing ions that reach the ion adsorption layer via the through-cavity.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electron emitter is a filamentary or sheet-like thermionic electron emitter; The electron emitter arches away from the insulating substrate to form a heat dissipation gap between the electron emitter and the insulating substrate; or, the electron emitter is located in a trench on the substrate between the electrode pairs, and the electron emitter is at least partially suspended above the trench.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes: The second chamber is connected to the first chamber via a gas channel disposed on an insulating spacer layer, or the second chamber is connected to the first chamber via a gas channel disposed on a second collecting electrode; The first chamber is the chamber formed by the electron emission and collection structure, the insulating spacer layer, and the second collection electrode as described in claim 1.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The device is used to achieve vacuuming by applying a constant voltage to the electron emitter, the first collector, and the second collector in a constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode. The device further includes a current stabilizing circuit, which is used to control the electron current on the first or second collector electrode to be constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter in the constant electron current-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron current-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, so as to achieve device vacuuming; the current stabilizing circuit is also used to control the ion current on the second collector electrode to be constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter or the first collector electrode in the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, or to control the ion current on the first collector electrode to be constant by adjusting the power on the electron emitter or the second collector electrode, so as to achieve device vacuuming.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The device also includes a detection circuit for detecting the ion current on the second or first collector electrode in a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement mode, so as to determine the device vacuum level based on the electron current and the detected ion current.

7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The current stabilizing circuit includes a current conversion sub-circuit, a differential signal sub-circuit, and a feedback regulation sub-circuit; The current conversion sub-circuit is used to collect ion current or electron current, convert the collected ion current or electron current into a corresponding voltage signal, and transmit the voltage signal to the difference signal sub-circuit; the difference signal sub-circuit is used to obtain a voltage difference signal based on the pre-stored corresponding reference voltage value and the voltage signal, and transmit the voltage difference signal to the feedback adjustment sub-circuit; the feedback adjustment sub-circuit is used to adjust the power on the electron emitter or the first collector electrode according to the voltage difference signal, or adjust the power on the electron emitter or the second collector electrode according to the voltage difference signal.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode and the constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the first collector or the second collector to acquire the electron current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter. In the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the positive terminal of a power supply used to apply a negative voltage to the second collector to collect the ion current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of a power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter or the first collector; or, in the constant ion current-vacuum acquisition mode, the input terminal of the current conversion sub-circuit is connected to the positive terminal of a power supply used to apply a negative voltage to the first collector to collect the ion current, and the output terminal of the feedback regulation sub-circuit is connected to the negative terminal of a power supply used to apply a positive voltage to the electron emitter or the second collector.

9. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The device also includes: A mode controller, including a switching component, is used to switch the device to a constant electron flow-vacuum acquisition mode, a constant ion flow-vacuum acquisition mode, or a constant electron flow-vacuum measurement acquisition mode.

10. A method for obtaining an on-chip micro-vacuum, utilizing the device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes: In constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the through electrode with a positive voltage applies emits electrons to the electron emitter of the driving electron emission and collection structure, and the first collector with a positive voltage applies collects the electrons emitted by the electron emitter; the second collector with a negative voltage applies captures ions that reach the second collector via the through cavity; or, in constant voltage-vacuum acquisition mode, the through electrode with a positive voltage applies emits electrons to the electron emitter of the driving electron emission and collection structure, and the first collector with a negative voltage applies collects the ionized ions; the second collector with a positive voltage applies collects electrons that reach the second collector via the through cavity. The electron emission and collection structure includes an insulating substrate, a pair of through electrodes formed on the insulating substrate, an electron emitter located on the substrate and connected to the pair of through electrodes, and a first collection electrode arranged closely around the periphery of the substrate; the through cavity is formed between the electron emission and collection structure and the second collection electrode by an insulating spacer layer located on the side of the electron emitter of the electron emission and collection structure having the electron emitter; the second collection electrode is located on the side of the insulating spacer layer away from the electron emission and collection structure.

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