Cold Cathode Sputter Ion Pump with Saddle Electrostatic Field
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sputter ion pumps are large, heavy, costly, and prone to magnetic leakage, with complex structures and high power consumption due to the use of hot cathodes, limiting their effectiveness in maintaining stable discharge in high vacuum levels and requiring a magnetic field.
Innovation Solution
A sputter ion pump with a saddle-shaped electrostatic field and a cold cathode electron emitter, featuring parallel anode poles and a secondary electron emitter with a high secondary electron emission coefficient, eliminates the need for a magnetic field, simplifying the structure and reducing power consumption by using a field emission device for electron injection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sputter ion pump with hot cathode is used, then discharge stability in high vacuum levels is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the hot cathode component from the sputter ion pump system, replacing it with a cold cathode electron emission device. This extraction eliminates the need for complex heating mechanisms and thermal management systems while maintaining electron emission functionality through field emission or other cold cathode mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity without sacrificing discharge stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the thermal field (heat-based electron emission) with an electric field (cold cathode electron emission). By using strong electric fields to extract electrons directly from the cathode surface without thermal heating, the system replaces complex thermal management infrastructure with simpler electrical field control, reducing mechanical and thermal subsystem complexity while maintaining reliable electron emission for discharge stability
2Productivity
If a conventional sputter ion pump with magnetic field is used, then gas evacuation capability is improved, but magnetic leakage occurs affecting peripheral measuring apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the magnetic field generation system from the sputter ion pump, eliminating the source of magnetic leakage that interferes with peripheral measuring apparatus. The gas evacuation capability is maintained through optimized electrostatic field configurations and electron emission mechanisms that do not require magnetic field confinement, thereby eliminating harmful magnetic effects while preserving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the magnetic field system with an electrostatic field system for controlling electron trajectories and maintaining discharge. By using electric fields instead of magnetic fields to guide and confine electrons, the system eliminates magnetic leakage that affects external measuring instruments while maintaining effective gas evacuation through electrostatically-controlled electron-gas molecule interactions
3Productivity
If a conventional sputter ion pump is used, then gas evacuation function is achieved, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sputter ion pump into a compact modular design with integrated cold cathode electron emission, saddle-shaped electrostatic field generation, and sputtering surfaces. This segmentation allows for optimized spatial arrangement and miniaturization of individual components, reducing overall device volume and weight while maintaining effective gas evacuation function through concentrated and efficient electron emission zones
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested configuration where the cold cathode electron emission device, electrostatic field-generating electrodes, and sputtering surfaces are arranged in concentric or layered configurations. This nesting maximizes the use of internal space, allows multiple functional surfaces to occupy overlapping volumes, and reduces the overall envelope dimensions, thereby decreasing device size and weight while preserving gas evacuation capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a more efficient and cost-effective vacuum pump with improved discharge stability in high vacuum levels, reduced power consumption, and a simpler structure, effectively evacuating gases without magnetic interference, suitable for high vacuum applications.
Implementation Method 1
cold cathode electron emitter... using a field emission device for electron injection
Implementation Method 2
sputter ion pump with a saddle-shaped electrostatic field... The two parallel anode poles are positioned in the vacuum chamber and are arranged in a symmetrical configuration
Implementation Method 3
The cathode electrode is subjected to a sputtering process by means of the ionized gas molecules activating the surfaces thereof. The ionized gas molecules are absorbed on and/or embedded in the active surfaces of the cathode electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A sputter ion pump includes one vacuum chamber, two parallel anode poles and one cold cathode electron emitter. The vacuum chamber includes at least one aperture located in an outer wall thereof. The two parallel anode poles are positioned in the vacuum chamber and arranged in a symmetrical configuration about a center axis of the vacuum chamber. The cold cathode electron emission device is located on or proximate the outer wall of the vacuum chamber and faces a corresponding aperture. The cold cathode electron emission device is thus configured for injecting electrons through the corresponding aperture and into the vacuum chamber. The sputter ion pump produces a saddle-shaped electrostatic field and is free of a magnetic field. The sputter ion pump has a simplified structure and a low power consumption.