Polymer composite vacuum components
A gauge having a housing formed of a polymer material and one or more electrical feedthrough pins disposed in the housing. The electrical feedthrough pins can be oriented substantially perpendicular to each other and have complex shapes.
1. An ionization gauge comprising:
a) a cylindrical cathode cage having a base, the base having an opening;
b) a polymer vacuum housing surrounding the cylindrical cathode cage;
c) an anode feedthrough pin disposed directly through the polymer vacuum housing and disposed through the opening of the base of the cylindrical cathode cage; and
d) an insulator at the base of the cylindrical cathode cage that protects the polymer vacuum housing at an interface between the cylindrical cathode cage and the polymer vacuum housing.
2. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a cathode feedthrough pin disposed directly through the polymer vacuum housing and electrically coupled to the cylindrical cathode cage.
3. The ionization gauge of claim 2 , wherein the anode feedthrough pin is disposed through a base of the polymer vacuum housing and the cathode feedthrough pin is disposed through a side of the polymer vacuum housing.
4. The ionization gauge of claim 2 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin has a nonlinear portion.
5. The ionization gauge of claim 4 , wherein the nonlinear portion is disposed through the polymer material of the polymer vacuum housing.
6. The ionization gauge of claim 2 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin has a threaded portion disposed within the polymer of the polymer vacuum housing.
7. The ionization gauge of claim 2 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin is further coupled to the polymer vacuum housing with an O-ring.
8. The ionization gauge of claim 2 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin has an extended disc portion disposed within the polymer of the polymer vacuum housing.
9. The ionization gauge of claim 2 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin is formed by coupling two conductors with a conductive matrix embedded within the polymer vacuum housing.
10. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing further comprises a flange to couple the gauge to a process chamber.
11. The ionization gauge of claim 10 , wherein the flange is integrally molded to the polymer vacuum housing.
12. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a sputter shield disposed within the cylindrical cathode cage that is coaxial with the anode.
13. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a starter that is electrically coupled to the anode and disposed within the cylindrical cathode cage.
14. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein a bottom face of the base of the cylindrical cathode cage has a lip surrounding the insulator.
15. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of the cylindrical cathode cage has a lip that extends radially outward from the cylindrical cathode cage into the polymer vacuum housing.
16. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a ferromagnetic screen coupled to an upper portion of the cylindrical cathode cage.
17. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein the opening of the base of the cylindrical cathode cage has a step edge to shadow the insulator.
18. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical magnet surrounding at least a portion of the polymer vacuum housing.
19. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising an O-ring disposed around the anode, within the polymer vacuum housing, and below the base of the cylindrical cathode cage.
20. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the anode is disposed through the printed circuit board and the polymer vacuum housing is mechanically coupled to the printed circuit board.
21. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing is formed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polypropylene, or polycarbonate.
22. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing is formed of a polymer having an outgassing rate less than 5×10 −6 Torr L s −1 cm −2 .
23. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing is formed of a polymer that is not hygroscopic.
24. The ionization gauge of claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical insulator that surrounds a portion of the anode disposed through the printed circuit board.
25. The ionization gauge of claim 24 , further comprising an enclosure that at least partially surrounds the polymer vacuum housing and printed circuit board.
26. The ionization gauge of claim 25 , wherein the enclosure is formed of a polymer.
27. The ionization gauge of claim 25 , further comprising a connector coupled to the enclosure.
28. An assembly for an ionization gauge comprising:
a) a cylindrical cathode cage having a base, the base having an opening;
b) an anode feedthrough pin disposed through the opening of the base; and
c) an insulator at the base of the cylindrical cathode cage that is configured to protect a polymer vacuum housing at an interface between the cylindrical cathode cage and the polymer vacuum housing;
wherein the assembly is configured for insertion into a mold configured for formation of the polymer vacuum housing surrounding the cylindrical cathode cage, anode, and insulator such that the anode is disposed directly through the polymer vacuum housing.
29. The assembly of claim 28 , further comprising a cathode feedthrough pin disposed directly through the polymer vacuum housing and electrically coupled to the cylindrical cathode cage.
30. A method of making an ionization gauge, comprising:
a) positioning a gauge assembly within a mold, the gauge assembly comprising:
i) a cylindrical cathode cage having a base, the base having an opening;
ii) an anode feedthrough pin disposed through the opening of the base; and
iii) an insulator at the base of the cylindrical cathode cage that is configured to protect a polymer vacuum housing at an interface between the cylindrical cathode cage and the polymer vacuum housing,
b) flowing molten polymer into the mold;
c) allowing the molten polymer to solidify to form the polymer vacuum housing around the cylindrical cathode cage, anode, and insulator such that the anode is disposed directly through the polymer vacuum housing.
31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising positioning within the mold a cathode feedthrough pin that is electrically coupled to the cathode cage.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anode feedthrough pin is disposed through a base of the polymer vacuum housing and the cathode feedthrough pin is disposed through a side of the polymer vacuum housing.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin has a nonlinear portion.
34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the nonlinear portion is disposed through the polymer material of the polymer vacuum housing.
35. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin has a threaded portion disposed within the polymer of the polymer vacuum housing.
36. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin is further coupled to the polymer vacuum housing with an O-ring.
37. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anode or cathode feedthrough pin has an extended disc portion disposed within the polymer of the polymer vacuum housing.
38. The method of claim 31 , further comprising forming the anode or cathode feedthrough pin by molding a conductive polymer matrix into the polymer vacuum housing between two conductors.
39. The method of claim 30 , wherein the mold forms a flange of the polymer vacuum housing to couple the ionization gauge to a process chamber.
40. The method of claim 30 , wherein the gauge assembly further comprises a sputter shield disposed within the cylindrical cathode cage that is coaxial with the anode.
41. The method of claim 30 , wherein the gauge assembly further comprises a starter that is electrically coupled to the anode and disposed within the cylindrical cathode cage.
42. The method of claim 30 , wherein a bottom face of the base of the cylindrical cathode cage has a lip surrounding the insulator.
43. The method of claim 30 , wherein an upper portion of the cold cathode cage has a lip that extends radially outward from the cold cathode cage into the polymer vacuum housing.
44. The method of claim 30 , wherein the gauge assembly further comprises a ferromagnetic screen coupled to an upper portion of the cold cathode cage.
45. The method of claim 30 , wherein the opening of the base of the cylindrical cathode cage has a step edge to shadow the insulator.
46. The method of claim 30 , further comprising positioning a cylindrical magnet surrounding at least a portion of the polymer vacuum housing.
47. The method of claim 30 , further comprising positioning an O-ring around the anode, within the polymer vacuum housing, and below the base of the cylindrical cathode cage.
48. The method of claim 30 , further comprising mechanically coupling a printed circuit board to the polymer vacuum housing, wherein the anode is disposed through the printed circuit board.
49. The method of claim 30 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing is formed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polypropylene, or polycarbonate.
50. The method of claim 30 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing is formed of a polymer having an outgassing rate less than 5×10 −6 Torr L s −1 cm −2 .
51. The method of claim 30 , wherein the polymer vacuum housing is formed of a polymer that is not hygroscopic.
52. The method of claim 30 , further comprising positioning a cylindrical insulator that surrounds a portion of the anode disposed through the printed circuit board.
53. The method of claim 30 , further comprising positioning an enclosure that at least partially surrounds the polymer vacuum housing and printed circuit board.
54. The method of claim 30 , wherein the enclosure is formed of a polymer.
55. The method of claim 30 , further comprising coupling a connector to the enclosure.