Polymer composite vacuum components
View Patent ↗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. A method of making a gauge, the method comprising:
a) positioning a gauge assembly within a mold, the gauge assembly comprising an electrical feedthrough pin disposed through an opening of a base;
b) flowing molten polymer into the mold; and
c) allowing the molten polymer to solidify to form a polymer vacuum housing around the electrical feedthrough pin such that the electrical feedthrough pin is disposed directly through the polymer vacuum housing.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising another electrical feedthrough pin that is disposed through a side of the polymer vacuum housing.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical feedthrough pin has a nonlinear portion.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nonlinear portion is disposed through the polymer vacuum housing.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical feedthrough pin has a threaded portion disposed through the polymer vacuum housing.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical feedthrough pin is further coupled to the polymer vacuum housing with an O-ring.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical feedthrough pin has an extended disc portion disposed within the polymer vacuum housing.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold forms a flange to couple the gauge to a process chamber.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical feedthrough pin is an anode disposed through the opening of the base; and
the gauge assembly further comprises a cathode feedthrough pin that is electrically coupled to a cylindrical cathode cage, wherein the cylindrical cathode cage comprises the base.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gauge assembly further comprises a sputter shield disposed within the cylindrical cathode cage that is coaxial with the anode.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gauge assembly further comprises a starter that is electrically coupled to the anode and disposed within the cylindrical cathode cage.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein an upper portion of the cylindrical cathode cage has a lip that extends radially outward from the cylindrical cathode cage into the polymer housing.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gauge assembly further comprises a ferromagnetic screen coupled to an upper portion of the cylindrical cathode cage.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising positioning an O-ring around the anode, within the polymer housing, and below the base of the cylindrical cathode cage.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising mechanically coupling a printed circuit board to the polymer housing, wherein the anode is disposed through the printed circuit board.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer housing is formed of polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polypropylene, or polycarbonate.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer housing is formed of a polymer having an outgassing rate less than 5×10 −6 Torr L s −1 cm −2 .
18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer housing is formed of a polymer that is not hygroscopic.
19. The method of claim 9 , further comprising positioning a cylindrical insulator that surrounds a portion of the anode disposed through the printed circuit board.
20. The method of claim 9 , further comprising positioning an enclosure that at least partially surrounds the polymer housing and printed circuit board.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the enclosure is formed of a polymer.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising coupling a connector to the enclosure.