Quartz Glass Vacuum Feedthrough for High Voltage Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum feedthroughs in high voltage and high vacuum environments are prone to dielectric breakdown, leading to short circuits and equipment failure, due to limitations in dielectric strength and thermal expansion coefficient matching between ceramic insulators and metal conductors.
Innovation Solution
A feedthrough design featuring a conductor surrounded by a quartz or glass tube with a recessed end and an adhesion layer, providing isolation and mechanical strength, and allowing for easy replacement, while maintaining compatibility with various electrical components and vacuum systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a ceramic insulator is used in the feedthrough, then dielectric strength is improved, but thermal expansion coefficient matching with metal conductor deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from ceramic to quartz glass, which maintains high dielectric strength while having a thermal expansion coefficient that better matches metal conductors. This parameter substitution resolves the contradiction by finding a material that optimizes both electrical insulation and thermal compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedthrough employs a composite structure combining quartz glass tube with metal conductor and adhesion layer. This composite approach allows leveraging the high dielectric strength of quartz while achieving thermal expansion compatibility through the coordinated design of multiple materials with complementary properties.
2Strength
If the thickness of the isolation layer is increased to prevent dielectric breakdown, then dielectric strength is improved, but the size of the feedthrough increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from ceramic to quartz glass, which has superior dielectric properties that allow achieving the same or higher dielectric strength with a thinner isolation layer. This material parameter change enables reduced thickness while maintaining or improving breakdown resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The quartz tube serves as a replaceable isolation component that can be easily replaced if damaged. This approach allows using optimized thinner quartz tubes that provide sufficient dielectric strength for the application while maintaining cost-effectiveness through replaceability rather than over-engineering with excessive thickness.
3Strength
If conventional ceramic insulators are used, then dielectric isolation is provided, but reliability under high voltage and high vacuum conditions deteriorates due to dielectric breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes ceramic material with quartz glass material, changing the fundamental material parameter. Quartz glass exhibits superior performance in high voltage and high vacuum environments with higher dielectric strength and better resistance to dielectric breakdown, directly improving reliability under these extreme conditions while maintaining effective dielectric isolation.
4Ease of repair
If the feedthrough design is made modular with detachable components, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the feedthrough into separable modules: metal conductor, adhesion layer, and quartz tube. The quartz tube can be detached and replaced independently without replacing the entire feedthrough assembly. This segmentation enables easy repair of the isolation layer while keeping the overall structure relatively simple through standardized connection interfaces.
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 enhances dielectric strength and mechanical integrity, preventing dielectric breakdown and enabling reliable high voltage and high vacuum operations without increasing the size of the isolation layer, thus improving the reliability and cost-effectiveness of vacuum feedthroughs.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesion layer that is disposed between the conductor and the quartz tube and attaches the conductor to the quartz tube in an airtight manner
Implementation Method 2
a quartz tube configured to surround at least a portion of the conductor and provide isolation to the conductor
Implementation Method 3
a sealer that seals the feedthrough with a housing in an airtight manner
Data Source
AI summary
A feedthrough for providing an electrical connection is provided. The feedthrough comprises a conductor and a quartz or a glass structure configured to surround at least a portion of the conductor and provide isolation to the conductor. The conductor and the quartz or glass structure may be coaxially arranged. The feedthrough can provide an electrical connection between an inside and outside of a vacuum chamber that contains a sample.