COMPACT VACUUM PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY USABLE WITH ION TRAPS

Abstract

A vacuum system is described. The vacuum system includes a vacuum cell and an ion trap. The vacuum cell includes walls having an inner surface that form at least a portion of a vacuum chamber. At least a portion of the inner surface has a topography including structures therein. The structures include a getter material. The ion trap is within the vacuum chamber.

Description

Claims

1. A vacuum system, comprising: a vacuum cell including a plurality of walls having an inner surface forming at least a portion of a vacuum chamber, at least a portion of the inner surface having a topography including a plurality of structures therein, the plurality of structures including a getter material; andan ion trap within the vacuum chamber.

2. The vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising: an integrated reflector in the vacuum chamber, the integrated reflector configured to provide optical access to the at least the portion of the inner surface having the topography.

3. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein the inner surface further includes at least one of: a low emissivity region configured to direct radiation toward at least one of the getter material or a dispenser material;a localized heating region thermally coupled with the at least the portion of the inner surface; ora barrier coating on at least a portion of the at least one of the getter material or the dispenser material.

4. The vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising: at least one of a tube getter or a tube dispenser residing in the vacuum chamber, the at least one of the tube getter or the tube dispenser including at least one of an additional getter material or a dispenser material and a reaction resistant material enclosing a portion of the at least one of the additional getter material or the dispenser material.

5. The vacuum system of claim 4, wherein the reaction resistant material includes at least one of stainless steel, tantalum, or glass.

6. The vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising: at least one additional getter including a plurality of getter pieces; andan encapsulant configured to retain the at least one additional getter and having a plurality of perforations therein, the getter pieces being larger than the plurality of perforations.

7. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein a wall of the plurality of walls of the vacuum cell includes an aperture therein, the vacuum system further comprising: a viewport coupled to the vacuum cell and hermetically sealing the aperture, wherein at least one of: the viewport is attached to the vacuum cell such that the viewport is fused to the vacuum cell;the viewport has at least one of a conductive coating, an optical coating, or a permeation barrier coating;the viewport includes a plurality of regions including a birefringent region having a particular birefringence and at least one additional region configured to reduce a total birefringence of the viewport to be less than the particular birefringence;the viewport has an average surface roughness of not more than two micro inches; orthe viewport has a surface corresponding to the wall, the surface including at least one of a plurality of surface modifications or a coating configured to control at least one of a reflectivity or a conductivity of the surface.

8. The vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising: an ion pump including a cathode having a cathode surface and an anode, at least a portion of the cathode or anode surface having a shielded cathode, sub-cathode, or field emitter topography including a plurality of surface structures; andat least one electron source configured to inject electrons into the ion pump.

9. The vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising: a pinch off tube configured to be coupled with a vacuum pump during assembly of the vacuum system, the pinch off tube having an indium coated interior surface.

10. The vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising: at least one getter material having a vacuum-prepared gettering surface in the vacuum chamber.

11. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum cell has a maximum dimension of not more than four inches and is configured to achieve a vacuum of less than 10-10 Torr.

12. The vacuum system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum chamber has volume of not more than four cubic centimeters and is configured to achieve an initial vacuum of less than 10-9 Torr.

13. A vacuum cell, comprising: a first portion of the vacuum cell including a getter material and having an aperture therein, the first portion having an inner surface forming a first portion of a vacuum chamber, at least a portion of the inner surface having a topography including a plurality of structures formed therein, the plurality of structures including a first portion of the getter material, a second portion of the getter material having a vacuum-prepared gettering surface;a viewport configured to provide optical access to the vacuum chamber and hermetically sealing the aperture, being fused to the first portion of the vacuum cell, wherein the viewport is bonded to the first portion such that the viewport is fused to the vacuum cell, the viewport having an average surface roughness of not more than 1.5 micro inches; anda second portion of the vacuum cell forming a second portion of the vacuum chamber, the second portion including an ion trap and a substrate hermetically sealed to the first portion of the vacuum cell.

14. A method for providing a vacuum system, comprising: providing a vacuum cell including a plurality of walls having an inner surface forming at least a portion of a vacuum chamber, the providing the vacuum cell further including forming a topography including a plurality of structures in at least a portion of the inner surface, the plurality of structures including a getter material; andproviding an ion trap configured to reside within the vacuum chamber.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing the vacuum cell further includes at least one of: forming a low emissivity region configured to direct radiation toward the getter material; orproviding a localized heating region thermally coupled with the at least the portion of the inner surface.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing a barrier coating on at least a portion of the getter material.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing at least one of a tube getter or a tube dispenser residing in the vacuum chamber, the at least one of the tube getter or tube dispenser including at least one of an additional getter material or a dispenser material and a reaction resistant material enclosing a portion of the at least one of the additional getter material or the dispenser material.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing, in the vacuum chamber, at least one additional getter including a plurality of getter pieces; andproviding an encapsulant configured to retain the at least one additional getter and having a plurality of perforations therein, the getter pieces being larger than each of the plurality of perforations.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a wall of the plurality of walls of the vacuum cell includes an aperture therein, the method further comprising: providing a viewport coupled to the vacuum cell and hermetically sealing the aperture, wherein the providing the viewport includes at least one of: attaching the viewport to the vacuum cell such that the viewport is fused to the vacuum cell;providing at least one of a conductive coating, optical coating, or a permeation barrier coating on the viewport;forming the viewport from a plurality of regions including a birefringent region having a particular birefringence and at least one additional region configured to reduce a total birefringence of the viewport to be less than the particular birefringence;polishing at least a portion of the viewport to an average surface roughness of not more than two micro inches; orconfiguring a surface of the viewport corresponding to the wall such that the surface includes at least one of a plurality of surface modifications or a coating configured to control at least one of a reflectivity or a conductivity of the surface.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising: providing an ion pump including a cathode having a cathode surface and an anode having an anode surface, at least a portion of at least one of the cathode surface or the anode surface having a particular topography including a plurality of surface structures; andproviding at least one electron source configured to inject electrons into the ion pump.