Vacuum device having non-evaporable getter component with increased exposed surface area

1. A vacuum device, comprising:

a substrate comprising a base non-evaporable getter layer disposed thereon;

a support structure having a support perimeter, said support structure disposed over said base non-evaporable getter layer of said substrate; and

a non-evaporable alloy thin film getter having an exposed surface area and having a thickness less than or equal to 20 micrometers, said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter deposited over said support structure, and extending beyond said support perimeter in at least one direction forming a vacuum gap between said substrate and said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter, increasing said exposed surface area.

2. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a second support structure having a second perimeter, said second support structure interposed between said support structure and said substrate; and

a second non-evaporable getter layer having a second exposed surface area and extending beyond said second perimeter of said second support structure forming a second vacuum gap between said second non-evaporable getter layer and said substrate, said second non-evaporable getter layer interposed between said support structure and said second support structure, wherein said vacuum gap is formed between said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter and said second non-evaporable getter layer.

3. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said second non-evaporable getter layer further comprises a core layer substantially enclosed by a non-evaporable getter material.

4. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said support structure, said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter, and said second non-evaporable getter layer form a folded structure having at least one fold.

5. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising a core layer interposed between said second non-evaporable getter layer and said second support structure.

6. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said core layer further comprises a core layer perimeter surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein said second non-evaporable getter layer is in contact with said top surface, and a non-evaporable getter material is deposited on at least a portion of said core layer perimeter surface and on at least a portion of said bottom surface of said core layer.

7. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said support structure includes a non-evaporable getter material.

8. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said vacuum gap is up to about 40 micrometers wide.

9. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said support structure has a thickness of up to about 40 micrometers.

10. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising at least three support structures wherein said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter extends over said at least three support structures.

11. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said support structure further comprises at least one support sidewall, wherein at least a portion of said at least one support sidewall has a non-evaporable getter material deposited thereon.

12. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said support structure further comprises a plurality of support structure lines formed from a non-evaporable getter material, and substantially parallel to each other, and said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter further comprises a plurality of non-evaporable alloy thin film getter lines substantially parallel to each other and at a predetermined angle to said plurality of support structure lines.

13. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of second non-evaporable getter lines substantially parallel to each other and at a second predetermined angle to said plurality of said non-evaporable getter lines.

14. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said plurality of support structure lines, said non-evaporable getter lines and said second non-evaporable getter lines for a hexagonal array.

15. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said plurality of support structure lines, are substantially mutually orthogonal to said non-evaporable getter lines.

16. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical device operating at a pressure below atmospheric pressure.

17. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising an optical device.

18. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system operating at a pressure below atmospheric pressure.

19. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising an electron emitter.

20. A storage device, comprising:

at least one vacuum device of claim 19 ; and

a storage medium in close proximity to said at least one vacuum device, said storage medium having a storage area in one of a plurality of states to represent information stored in that storage area.

21. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 19 ; wherein said support structure and said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter form at least a portion of a lens element to focus electrons emitted from said electron emitter.

22. A computer system, comprising:

a microprocessor;

an electronic device including at least one getter device of claim 1 coupled to said microprocessor; and

memory coupled to said microprocessor, said microprocessor operable of executing instructions from said memory to transfer data between said memory and said electronic device.

23. A vacuum device, comprising:

means for supporting a non-evaporable alloy thin film getter over a substrate comprising a base non-evaporable getter layer disposed thereon, said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter having an exposed surface, having a thickness less than or equal to 20micrometers, and having a substrate facing surface; and

means for exposing said substrate facing surface to a vacuum, wherein said means for supporting, said means for exposing, and said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter are integrally formed over said substrate.

24. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 23 , further comprising:

means for supporting a second non-evaporable getter layer over said substrate, said second non-evaporable getter layer having a top surface and an opposing surface; and

means for exposing said top surface and said opposing surface of said second non-evaporable getter layer.

25. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 24 , further comprising means for forming a folded structure between said non-evaporable alloy thin film getter and said second non-evaporable getter layer.

26. The vacuum device in accordance with claim 23 , further comprising means for forming a cross bar getter structure.

27. A vacuum device, comprising:

a support structure formed from a non-evaporable getter alloy, said support structure having a support perimeter, having at least one sidewall exposed to a vacuum, and disposed over a substrate; and

a non-evaporable getter layer having an exposed surface area, said non-evaporable getter layer disposed over said support structure, and extending beyond said support perimeter in at least one direction of said support structure forming a vacuum gap between said substrate and said non-evaporable getter layer, increasing said exposed surface area.