WO2016151997A1 - Triode type ionization vacuum gauge - Google Patents

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a triode type ionization vacuum gauge with which it is possible for the pressure of an object being measured to be measured without measuring errors, by reducing the influence of particles emitted from the surface of an ion collector. A triode type ionization vacuum gauge IG is provided with a filament 2, a grid 3 having a tubular outline, disposed around the filament, and a tubular ion collector 4 disposed around the grid and concentric with the grid. The triode type ionization vacuum gauge IG is further provided with a power source E1 for lighting the filament, a power source E2 for the grid, supplying the grid with a potential that is higher than that of the filament, and a power source E3 which makes the potential of the filament higher than the potential of the ion collector. Control is performed in such a way that the power supplied to the filament is at most equal to 4 W, and the emission current between the filament and the grid is in a range of 2 mA to 10 mA.

Description

Triode type ionization vacuum gauge

The present invention relates to a triode ionization vacuum gauge that is mounted on a measurement object such as a vacuum vessel and detects the internal pressure.

In a vacuum process performed in a vacuum processing apparatus such as film formation by sputtering or vapor deposition, the pressure in a vacuum chamber as a measurement object may greatly affect, for example, product yield. A triode ionization vacuum gauge is known as one that accurately measures a wide pressure range of 1 Pa to 10 ⁻⁶ Pa among the pressures in the vacuum chamber during the vacuum process (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1). ).

This type of triode ionization vacuum gauge includes a filament in a glass vacuum partition (housing) attached to a measurement object, a grid having a cylindrical outline disposed around the filament, And a cylindrical ion collector disposed around. Then, a direct current is applied to the filament by the filament lighting power source to cause the filament to red-hot to emit thermoelectrons, and the grid power source applies a potential higher than the filament to the grid, and another power source supplies the filament potential. Is higher than the potential of the ion collector, and positive ions of gas atoms and molecules generated by colliding with thermionic electrons around this grid are collected by the ion collector, and the pressure in the specimen is measured from the ion current at this time. Is done.

As the ion collector, in order to collect positive ions as much as possible, the length in the busbar direction is usually equal to or greater than the length in the grid busbar direction, and the grid and the ion collector are concentric. Placed in. Here, in the triode ionization vacuum gauge disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, when trying to obtain an emission current of about 2 mA, it was necessary to set the power supplied to the filament to about 9 W (at this time, The surface temperature of the ion collector was thought to exceed 400 ° C).

By the way, in recent years, in order to improve usability and the like, this type of ionization vacuum gauge is also required to be reduced in size. Accordingly, the vacuum partition itself is reduced in size, and the filament, grid, and ion collector to be assembled therein. The size has also been reduced. In such a case, if a power exceeding 9 W is supplied to the filament in accordance with the above, the glass vacuum partition is heated to a temperature exceeding 70 ° C., which is not preferable in the handling of the triode ionization vacuum gauge. For this reason, it is conceivable that the power supplied to the filament should be less than half of the conventional example (for example, 4 W) so that the vacuum partition is not heated above a predetermined temperature (for example, 50 ° C.). As disclosed in Document 1, for example, if the filament material is selected appropriately, a specified emission current can be obtained even at a low temperature (that is, pressure can be measured with high sensitivity), and the vacuum partition is prevented from being heated more than necessary. it can.

However, when a vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum partition and evacuation is performed at a constant exhaust speed from atmospheric pressure to a high vacuum region (pressure of about 10 ⁻⁵ Pa), for example, 4 W or less so that the emission current is controlled to 1 mA. When the pressure is measured with the above-mentioned miniaturized triode-type ionization vacuum gauge, the pressure indication value is continuously about 10 ⁻⁵ Pa, which is the pressure near the measurement limit (lower limit) value. After descending, it was found to rise again to about 10 ⁻⁴ Pa and reach equilibrium. When such a triode-type ionization vacuum gauge is attached to a measurement object and pressure is measured, a measurement error occurs (that is, a pressure higher than the pressure of the actual measurement object is indicated).

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have made extensive studies and the above problem arises when the supply power of the filament is relatively high (for example, 9 W) and the surface temperature of the ion collector exceeds 400 ° C. Although the power supply to the filament was lowered, both ends of the ion collector in the direction of the bus line had a relatively low collision probability of positive ions, and particles (gas molecules) could be stored. It came to know that it originates in becoming the discharge | release source of the particle | grains discharge | released by a collision. That is, at the beginning of evacuation, gas atoms and molecules (components in the atmosphere) such as moisture adhering to the grid and ion collector are gradually released and exhausted (that is, the amount of adsorption along the so-called adsorption isotherm). The pressure indication value decreases to its measurement limit value (for example, 10 ⁻⁵ Pa). At this point, the composition of atoms and molecules attached to the ion collector (mainly the inner surface) is considered to be a composition ratio that is linked to the atmosphere.

The emitted gas or gas molecules that have become positive ions collide with the ion collector again, and are chemically or physically adsorbed as oxides on the surface of the ion collector (mainly the inner surface). In this case, in a region where the collision probability of positive ions is high, positive ions having releasable energy continuously collide with each other as particles such as neutral molecules, neutral fragment molecules, neutral atoms or ions thereof. While being released as much as possible (that is, it is difficult to deposit as a molecular layer), in the region where the collision probability of positive ions is low, positive ions do not collide continuously. ) As compared with a region where the positive ion collision probability is high, and the thickness of the molecular layer is easily maintained.

As time further elapses, the gas in the vacuum partition changes to a composition corresponding to the exhaust capacity. In accordance with this change in composition, the composition of the atomic and molecular layers attached to the ion collector surface (mainly the inner surface) also changes. For example, the composition changes to an increased composition of water molecules that are difficult to exhaust. Due to this change in composition and the like, in the region where the collision probability of positive ions is low, the adsorption is dominant over the separation, and the deposition proceeds as, for example, a weakly coupled molecular layer (such as an oxide layer). Then, after the pressure has dropped to the pressure near the measurement limit, the amount of particles released gradually increases as positive ions collide with the deposited molecular layer (including adsorbed water molecules, etc.). If the pressure indication value rises and then the balance between the release of the particles and the re-adsorption or exhaust of the released particles is maintained, it is considered that the pressure indication value is balanced at a predetermined pressure (for example, 10 ⁻⁴ Pa). . Since the amount of chemical adsorption or physical adsorption on this molecular layer and the amount of particles emitted from this molecular layer depend on the collision probability of positive ions, etc., the ion collision probability is relatively low in the direction of the bus of the ion collector. It can be said that both end portions serve as particle emission sources, leading to an increase in pressure indication value.

JP 2013-72694 A

Vacuum, Vol. 40, No. 11 (1997) "Development of successor ball (VS-1A) of sub-standard ionization vacuum gauge"

The present invention has been made based on the above knowledge, and a triode ionization vacuum gauge capable of measuring the pressure of an object to be measured without measurement error by reducing the influence of particles emitted from the surface of an ion collector. The issue is to provide.

In order to solve the above problem, a triode ionization vacuum gauge of the present invention, which is mounted on a measurement object and detects the pressure inside the object, includes a filament, and a grid having a cylindrical contour disposed around the filament. A cylindrical ion collector arranged concentrically around the grid, a filament lighting power source that causes the filament to red heat by passing a direct current through the filament, and a grid that gives the grid a higher potential than the filament And a power supply for making the filament potential higher than that of the ion collector, the power supplied to the filament is 4 W or less, and the emission current between the filament and the grid is in the range of 2 mA to 10 mA. It is characterized by having comprised so that it may control.

According to the present invention, the amount of positive ions generated is relatively low by increasing the emission current to 2 mA or more in a state where the power supplied to the filament is 4 W or less in order to prevent heating of the vacuum partition. With the emission current, positive ions collide continuously even at both ends of the ion collector where the positive ion collision probability is low, and deposition as a weakly coupled molecular layer (such as an oxide layer) is suppressed. As a result, the influence of particles emitted from the surface of the ion collector in the high vacuum region is suppressed as much as possible when measuring the pressure attached to the measurement object, and the pressure of the measurement object can be measured accurately. it can. If the emission current is set to a value exceeding 10 mA, the power supplied to the filament exceeds 4 W, and the temperature of the vacuum partition also exceeds 50 ° C.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the filament, the grid, and the ion collector are housed in a metal vacuum partition. According to this, the charge-up of the thermoelectrons to the vacuum partition is prevented, and the potential distribution in the space surrounded by the vacuum partition is always kept constant. As a result, the pressure can be measured with a constant sensitivity over a long period of time.

The schematic diagram explaining the structure of the triode type | mold ionization vacuum gauge of embodiment of this invention. The schematic cross section of a sensor part. The graph which shows the pressure change with progress of time when evacuating the triode type | mold ionization vacuum gauge. The graph which shows the pressure in the test body with respect to passage of time when changing an emission current. The graph which shows the surface temperature of an ion collector when changing an emission current.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the triode ionization vacuum gauge of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the mounting direction of a sensor unit to be described later with respect to a measurement target (not shown) will be described as upward.

1 and 2, the triode ionization vacuum gauge IG includes a sensor unit S and a control unit C. The sensor unit S includes a bottomed cylindrical metal housing 1 as a vacuum partition, and is detachable from a measurement object such as a vacuum chamber (not shown) via a flange 11 (and a vacuum seal) provided on the upper part. Attached to. The housing 1 is made of stainless steel, nickel, an alloy of nickel and iron, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, or at least two kinds of alloys selected from these. . In this case, the metal housing 1 is preferably grounded.

The housing 1 is disposed concentrically so as to surround the filament 2, a grid 3 having a cylindrical outline disposed concentrically around the filament 2, and the grid 3. And a cylindrical ion collector 4. The filament 2 is made of a metal such as iridium covered with yttria or tungsten, and is formed by forming a wire having a diameter of 0.1 to 0.2 mm into a hairpin shape. Both free ends of the filament 2 are positioned and supported at predetermined positions in the housing 1 by support pins 21a and 21b projecting into the housing 1 through the bottom of the housing 1 through an insulator (not shown). . In this case, the support pins 21a and 21b also serve as connection terminals (electrodes). The filament 2 is inserted into one end (the lower end in FIG. 1) of the grid 3 from the top portion 22a side that is folded back into a hairpin shape at the front end of the filament 2 in the insertion direction. In this case, for example, the top portion 22a is arranged so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the midpoint Mp of the length of the grid 3 in the generatrix direction.

The grid 3 includes tungsten, molybdenum, molybdenum coated with platinum, tantalum, platinum, iridium, an alloy of platinum and iridium, an alloy of nickel, nickel and iron, stainless steel, or at least two alloys selected from these The product made from is used. A wire rod having a diameter of 0.1 to 0.5 mm is wound in a coil shape so as to have a cylindrical outline. In this case, the top portion 22 a of the filament 2 is positioned on the hole axis Ha of the grid 3. In addition, the form of the grid 3 is not limited to this, The thing which assembled | attached the said wire to the grid | lattice form, and shape | molded it cylindrically, and what shape | molded the punching metal or the photo-etching sheet | seat cylindrically may be sufficient. The grid 3 is also positioned and supported at a predetermined position in the housing 1 by support pins 31a and 31b projecting into the housing 1 through the bottom of the housing 1 via an insulator (not shown). In this case, the support pins 31a and 31b also serve as connection terminals.

The ion collector 4 is made of stainless steel, molybdenum, molybdenum coated with platinum, tantalum, platinum, iridium, an alloy of platinum and iridium, an alloy of nickel, nickel and iron, or at least two alloys selected from these. Is used. A rectangular plate material having a thickness of 50 to 300 μm is formed into a cylindrical shape. In this case, in order to collect positive ions as much as possible, the length of the ion collector 4 in the bus bar direction is made equal to the length of the grid 3 in the bus bar direction. The ion collector 4 is also positioned and supported at a predetermined position in the housing 1 by support pins 41a and 41b protruding through the housing 1 through an insulator (not shown). In this case, the support pins 41a and 41b also serve as connection terminals. In addition, the form of the ion collector 4 is not limited to this, and the ion collector 4 may be formed by assembling a strip-like wire rod into a lattice shape and forming it into a cylindrical shape, or punching metal or a photo-etching sheet as a cylindrical shape. Good.

On the other hand, the control unit C includes a housing F (indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 1), and a control unit Cu including a computer, a memory, a sequencer, and the like is built in the housing F. Control unit Cu is carried out by generally controls each of the like for displaying the pressure in the display processing to for example not shown a measured ion current value by the current meter A ₁ of the working or below of each power supply to be described later. Further, in the housing F, a filament lighting power source E1 for supplying a direct current to the filament 2 to red heat (light) the filament 2 and a higher potential than the filament 2 are applied to the grid 3 with respect to the grid 3. a power supply E2 for the grid, the potential of the filament 2 and the power source E3 to higher than the potential of the ion collector 4, and a current meter a ₁ for measuring the ionic current through the ion collector 4 is incorporated. In this embodiment, although not shown and described in particular, the housing F is provided with output terminals that are electrically connected to the power sources E1 to E3, and the sensor unit S and the control unit C are connected by a cable with a connector. The Further, the sensor unit S and the control unit C can be incorporated in the same housing.

Here, in order to configure the triode ionization gauge IG so that a prescribed emission current can be obtained even when the supply power of the filament 2 is 4 W or less, an iridium wire having a diameter of φ0.127 mm and a length of 20 mm is used as the hairpin. And a grid 3 formed of a platinum clad molybdenum wire having a diameter of 0.25 mm and a length L1 in the direction of the bus bar of 20 mm, and an ion collector 4 having a thickness of 0.1 mm. Using a 1 mm SUS304 plate formed into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 17 mm and a height of 20 mm, the filament 2, the grid 3 and the ion collector 4 are in accordance with the above embodiment, and a cylindrical metal housing having an inner diameter of 25 mm 1 was prepared.

Next, while the housing 1 was evacuated at a constant exhaust speed by a vacuum pump, the emission current was set to 1 mA and the operation was performed, and the pressure in the test body was measured. In this case, the grid voltage is 150 V, the filament voltage is 25 V, the ion collector voltage is 0 V, and the supply voltage to the filament 2 exceeds 4 W so that the emission current is maintained at 1 mA while measuring the pressure. The filament current and voltage from the power source E1 are appropriately controlled within the range. FIG. 3 is a graph showing changes in pressure in the test body over time. According to this, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 3, the pressure indication value of the housing 1 continuously decreases to about 10 ⁻⁵ Pa and then increases again to about 10 ⁻⁴ Pa to reach equilibrium. confirmed. In this state, when only the grid voltage was changed from 150 V to 800 V, although a slightly lower pressure was indicated, it immediately increased to the original pressure. From this, it is considered that the cause of the pressure increase is not due to the grid 3.

Next, the filament current and voltage from the power source E1 are appropriately controlled to change the emission current to 0.01 mA, 1 mA, 2 mA, 3 mA and 0.5 mA, respectively, every predetermined time, and the pressure in the test body over time is changed. Each measurement was performed, and the results are shown in FIG. According to this, it can be seen that the commanded pressure decreases as the emission current is increased. When the emission current is set to 2 mA and the change in pressure in the test body over time is measured, the pressure indication value of the housing 1 is around 10 ⁻⁵ Pa as shown by the solid line in FIG. It was confirmed that the water descended continuously until it reached equilibrium.

Next, the surface temperature of the ion collector 4 was measured when the emission current was changed by appropriately controlling the filament current and voltage from the power source E1, and the results are shown in FIG. According to this, even when the emission current was set to 10 mA, the temperature of the ion collector 4 was 250 ° C. or less, and the temperature of the housing 1 at that time was about 40 ° C. When the emission current was set to 10 mA, the supply power of the filament was 3.2W.

From the above, since the filament 2 is further heated by the increase of the emission current, the grid 3 and the ion collector 4 are heated and the temperature rises, and there is a possibility that the influence of the particles emitted from the surfaces thereof is reduced. However, the temperature of the ion collector 4 rising at this time is at most about plus 100 ° C., the temperature of the housing 1 is at most about plus 20 ° C., and there is no pressure fluctuation immediately after changing the emission current. As a result, when the emission current is set to 2 mA or more, the amount of positive ions generated increases, and positive ions collide continuously even at both ends of the ion collector 4 where the collision probability of positive ions is low at a relatively low emission current. Thus, it is considered that deposition as a weakly bonded molecular layer (such as an oxide layer) is suppressed.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, based on the above knowledge, the triode ionization vacuum gauge IG (that is, the filament 2 and the grid 3) is configured so that a specified emission current can be obtained even when the supply power of the filament 2 is 4 W or less. other ammeter a ₂ for measuring the emission current flowing between the filament 2 and the grid 3 to the negative output side of the power source E2 is provided, while measuring the pressure, power supply of the filaments 2 by the control unit Cu The power source E1 is controlled so that the emission current measured by the ammeter A2 is 4 W or less and is in the range of ₂ mA to 10 mA.

According to the above embodiment, the amount of positive ions generated increases, and positive ions collide continuously at both ends of the ion collector 4 where the collision probability of positive ions is low at a relatively low emission current. , Deposition as a weakly bound molecular layer (such as an oxide layer) is suppressed. As a result, the influence of particles emitted from the surface of the ion collector 4 in the high vacuum region is suppressed as much as possible when the pressure is measured by attaching to the measurement object, and the pressure of the measurement object is accurately measured. Can do. If the emission current is set to a value exceeding 10 mA, the power supplied to the filament exceeds 4 W, and the temperature of the vacuum partition also exceeds 50 ° C. Further, since the filament 2, the grid 3, and the ion collector 4 are housed in the metal housing 1, the charge-up of the thermoelectrons to the housing 1 is prevented, and the potential distribution in the space surrounded by the housing 1 is reduced. Always kept constant. As a result, the pressure can be measured with a constant sensitivity over a long period of time.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above. In the embodiment described above, the filament 22 has the apex 22a and the midpoint of the length of the ion collector 4 in the direction of the generatrix in the vicinity of the midpoint Mp of the grid 3 in the length of the generatrix. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the position of the filament 2 with respect to the grid 3 is appropriately set upward or downward as long as the electron emission efficiency when energizing the filament 2 to emit thermal electrons does not decrease beyond a predetermined value. Can be shifted. Further, as the filament 2, for example, a straight shape or a coiled shape can be used. In this case, the region where the electron emission efficiency is high is the midpoint Mp of the length of the grid 3 in the generatrix direction. It arrange | positions so that it may be located in the vicinity.

IG ... triode ionization vacuum gauge, S ... sensor section, C ... control unit, 1 ... metal housing (vacuum partition wall), 2 ... filament, 3 ... grid, 4 ... ion collector, A _{1, A} 2 _... ammeter .

Claims (2)

A triode-type ionization vacuum gauge that is attached to a measurement object and detects the pressure inside the object,
A filament, a grid having a cylindrical outline arranged around the filament, a cylindrical ion collector arranged concentrically around the grid, and a filament lighting device that supplies a direct current to the filament to heat the filament red A power source for the grid that gives the grid a higher potential than the filament and a power source that makes the potential of the filament higher than the potential of the ion collector, and the power supplied to the filament is 4 W or less In things,
A triode ionization vacuum gauge configured to control an emission current between a filament and a grid to be in a range of 2 mA to 10 mA. The triode ionization vacuum gauge according to claim 1, wherein the filament, the grid, and the ion collector are housed in a metal vacuum partition.

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