The present invention relates to a vacuum device having a vacuum-sealed package, a sealing structure of the package in the vacuum device in particular.
Vacuum devices having vacuum-sealed vacuum containers such as electron tubes, CRTs, and the like have conventionally been known. An example of such vacuum devices is an image display apparatus described in the following Patent Document 1. This image display apparatus has a vacuum container in which a front faceplate and a back faceplate are joined to each other by a seal material.
Meanwhile, as vacuum devices such as photosensors typified by photomultiplier tubes have recently been becoming versatile, the demand for reducing the size of vacuum devices has been growing. However, the joint surface formed by the seal material cannot be made so large as compared with the total faceplate area in the structure of the vacuum container in the above-mentioned image display apparatus, whereby the sealing may become incomplete when reducing the size of the device in particular.
Therefore, in view of such a problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum device which can sufficiently keep the airtightness in a vacuum container even when made smaller.
For solving the above-mentioned problem, the vacuum device of the present invention comprises a flat sheet-like substrate, a frame-like side wall erected on the substrate, a lid member airtightly joined to an opening part of the side wall while holding a low-melting metal therebetween, and a frame-like projection arranged in parallel with the side wall on the inner side of the side wall on the substrate. The vacuum device herein refers to an electronic device in which the inside of its package is in a vacuum state or a specific gas is sealed within the package.
In such a vacuum device, the opening part of the side wall erected on the flat sheet-like substrate and the lid member are sealed to each other while holding the low-melting metal therebetween, and the low-melting metal leaking out of the opening part by sealing is in the state confined between the side wall and the projection arranged in parallel with the side wall without flowing into the center part of the substrate. Such a structure of the sealing part widens the joint surface between the side wall and the lid member. On the other hand, oxide films are likely to be formed on the surface of the low-melting metal used as the sealing member and may hinder reliable joints. Therefore, while the projected part is provided, so as to keep the low-melting metal from reaching the center part of the substrate, i.e., the functional part as the device, a surface region of the low-melting metal flows into the container at the time of joining, whereby the low-melting metal having a high purity suitable for sealing can be exposed at a joint part between the side wall and lid member which is the most important for keeping the airtightness. Hence, the airtightness in the vacuum container is secured even when the vacuum container is made smaller.
The vacuum device in accordance with the present invention can sufficiently keep the airtightness in the vacuum container even when made smaller.
In the following, preferred embodiments of the vacuum device in accordance with the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. In the explanation of the drawings, parts identical or equivalent to each other will be referred to with the same numerals while omitting their overlapping descriptions. Each drawing is made for the sake of explanation and depicted so as to emphasize parts to be explained in particular. Therefore, ratios in dimensions of members in the drawings do not always match those in practice.
As shown in
Namely, the frame 3 is constituted by frames 3a and 3b as frame-like members. More specifically, the frame 3a connected to the upper substrate 2 has a frame body 9a made of silicon (Si) joined to the marginal part of the inner face 2r of the upper substrate 2 by anodic bonding and a multilayer metal film 10a formed by laminating a metal film 11a made of titanium (Ti), a metal film 12a made of platinum (Pt), and a metal film 13a made of gold (Au) on the frame body 9a in this order toward the lower substrate 4. Similarly, the frame 3b connected to the lower substrate 4 has a frame body 9b made of Si joined to the marginal part of the inner face 4r of the lower substrate 4 by anodic bonding and a multilayer metal film 10b formed by laminating a metal film 11b made of titanium, a metal film 12b made of platinum, and a metal film 13b made of gold on the frame body 9b in this order toward the upper substrate 2. For example, the thicknesses of the metal films are such that the metal films 11a, 11b are 30 nm each, the metal films 12a, 12b are 20 nm each, and the metal films 13a, 13b are 1 μm each. Thus, the frames 3a, 3b have a structure forming respective openings defined by the end parts of the frame bodies 9a, 9b on the side opposite from the substrates 2, 4, while the openings are formed with the multilayer metal films 10a, 10b, respectively.
Further, a frame-like projection 25b is provided in parallel with the frame body 9b on the inner side of the frame 3b on the lower substrate 4. The projection 25b is constituted by an Si layer 26b, integrally formed with the frame body 9b, having substantially the same thickness (height) as that of the frame body 9b and a multilayer metal film 27b, formed on the Si layer 26b, having substantially the same composition and thickness (height) as those of the multilayer metal film 10b. This forms such a groove part 28b as to travel around the inside of the vacuum container 5 along the edge part of the lower substrate 4 between the frame 3b and projection 25b. Similarly, a projection 25a constituted by an Si layer 26a and a multilayer metal film 27a is provided on the upper substrate 2, and a groove part 28a is formed between the frame 3a and projection 25a.
The frames 3a and 3b are joined to each other by holding a joint material containing a low-melting metal such as indium (In) (including In, alloys of In and Sn, alloys of In and Ag, and the like, for example) between the multilayer metal films 10a and 10b, whereby the inside of the vacuum container 5 is held airtight. Though a joint layer 14 made of the joint material is formed on the multilayer metal film 10b in
The frame 3 may be constituted by one member made of Si instead of joining two members of the frames 3a and 3b. In this case, the frame-like projection is also constituted by one member. Assuming that the substrate, side wall, and lid member are the lower substrate 4, frame 3, and upper substrate 2, respectively, in this case, it will be preferred if the lower substrate 4 (substrate) and frame 3 (side wall) are joined to each other by anodic bonding and then the upper substrate 2 (lid member) having the photocathode 6 and the frame 3 (side wall) are joined to each other by joining the multilayer film and the joint layer to each other. When forming an Si layer 17 electrically connected to the photocathode 6, however, it will be preferred if the frame 3 comprises two members of the frames 3a and 3b. When the frame 3 comprises two members of the frames 3a and 3b, it will be preferred in terms of preventing the joint material from flowing into the vacuum container 5 if both of the projections 25a and 25b are provided, though a projection may be provided on only one member on the side where the joint material flows.
Depressed parts may be formed at the joint surface of the frame 3b with the frame 3a toward the lower substrate 4.
Returning to
The inner face 2r of the upper substrate 2 in the vacuum container 5 is formed with the transmission type photocathode 6 containing an alkali metal emitting a photoelectron into the vacuum container 5 in response to light incident thereon from the outside. In this case, the upper substrate 2 functions as a transmission window which transmits therethrough toward the photocathode 6 light incident thereon from the outside. The photocathode 6 is formed closer to an end part in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction in
On the inner face 4r of the lower substrate 4, the electron multiplier part 7 and anode 8 are formed along the inner face 4r. The electron multiplier part 7 has a plurality of wall parts erected so as to extend along each other in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 4, while a groove part is formed between the wall parts. The side walls and bottom parts of the wall parts are formed with secondary electron emissive surfaces made of a secondary electron emissive material. The electron multiplier part 7 is arranged at a position facing the photocathode 6 within the vacuum container 5. The anode 8 is provided at a position separated from the electron multiplier part 7. The lower substrate 4 is further provided with holes 19, 20, 21 penetrating therethrough from a surface 4s to the inner face 4r. A photocathode-side terminal 22, an anode-side terminal 23, and an anode terminal 24 are inserted in the holes 19, 20, and 21, respectively. Since the photocathode-side terminal 22 and anode-side terminal 23 are electrically in contact with both end parts of the electron multiplier part 7, respectively, a potential difference can be generated in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 4 by applying a predetermined voltage to the photocathode-side terminal 22 and anode-side terminal 23. Since the anode terminal 24 is electrically in contact with the anode 8, electrons having reached the anode 8 can be taken therefrom to the outside as a signal.
Operations of the photomultiplier tube 1 explained in the foregoing will now be explained. When light is incident on the photocathode 6 through the upper substrate 2, a photoelectron is emitted from the photocathode 6 toward the lower substrate 4. The emitted photoelectron reaches the electron multiplier part 7 facing the photocathode 6. Since a potential difference is generated in the longitudinal direction of the electron multiplier part 7 by applying a voltage to the photocathode-side terminal 22 and anode-side terminal 23, the photoelectron having arrived at the electron multiplier part 7 is directed toward the anode 8. Thereafter, the photoelectron having arrived at the electron multiplier part 7 from the photocathode 6 is multiplied in a cascaded fashion while colliding with the side walls and bottom parts of the electron multiplier part 7, thereby reaching the anode 8 while generating secondary electrons. The generated secondary electrons are taken from the anode 8 to the outside through the anode terminal 24.
In the photomultiplier tube 1 explained in the foregoing, the opening part of the frame 3b erected on the flat sheet-like lower substrate 4 and the upper substrate 2 provided with the frame 3a are sealed to each other while holding the joint layer 14 therebetween, and the joint layer 14 containing the low-melting metal leaking out of the opening part of the frame 3b by sealing flows along the frame 3b, so as to increase the contact area between the joint layer 14 and the frame 3b and be confined into the groove parts 28a, 28b between the frames 3a, 3b and the projections 25a, 25b arranged in parallel with the frames 3a, 3b without flowing toward the center parts of the substrates 2, 4, i.e., the photocathode 6, electron multiplier part 7, and anode 8. The structure in which a joint material is laminated between the casing-like frames 3a, 3b widens the joint surface between the substrates 2, 4. Further, the existence of the groove parts 28a, 28b can prevent operational parts from being influenced by the upper layer part of the joint layer 14 flowing toward the vacuum container 5, if any, in the joining step, and the flow resultantly makes it easier for a high-purity surface of the low-melting metal in the joint layer 14 to be exposed and enables reliable joining. Since the frame bodies 9a, 9b made of Si are employed as a body of the frame 3, the frame bodies 9a, 9b themselves are hard to be deformed by the heat at the time of joining and the like. Therefore, the joint layer 14 is hard to become uneven because of deformations of the frame body, so that the joining is done reliably. Thus, the airtightness of the vacuum container 5 is secured reliably even when the vacuum container 5 is made smaller.
Since the projections 25a, 25b are integrally formed with the frame bodies 9a, 9b, respectively, the contact areas of the upper substrate 2 and lower substrate 4 with the frame bodies 9a, 9b become greater, so as to make it possible to secure the airtightness reliably, while making it easier to form the projections 25a, 25b, whereby the vacuum device can be made efficiently.
Since a plurality of depressed parts 29 are formed in the joint surface of the frame 3b with the frame 3a or the joint surface of the frame 3a with the frame 3b, the low-melting metal is easier to flow into the depressed parts 29 at the time of joining and thus is less likely to flow out to the center parts of the substrates 2, 4, and the joint areas increase, whereby the effect of exposing the highly pure surface of the low-melting metal is exhibited in each minute area of the joint surface between the frames 3a, 3b. The depressed parts 29 are two-dimensionally arranged in the X direction along the joint surface and the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction along the joint surface. As a consequence, the joint surface excluding the depressed parts 29 attains a mesh form, so that the joint material is arranged uniformly and continuously in the X and Y directions in the joint surface, whereby the frames 3a and 3b are sealed more reliably.
Preferably, the projection is integrally formed with the side wall. When the projection is thus integrally formed with the side wall, the joint area between the substrate and side wall can be made greater, and the vacuum device can be manufactured efficiently.
Further, it will be preferred if at least one of a joint surface of the side wall with the lid member and a joint surface of the lid member with the side wall is formed with a plurality of depressed parts. In this case, the low-melting metal flows out less toward the center part of the substrate at the time of joining, while the joint area increases, and the effect of exposing the highly pure surface of the low-melting metal is exhibited in each minute area of the joint surface.
Furthermore, it will be preferred if the plurality of depressed parts are arranged two-dimensionally in a first direction along the joint surface and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction along the joint surface. Such an arrangement of the depressed parts causes the joint surface excluding the depressed parts to attain a mesh form, so that the low-melting metal is arranged uniformly and continuously in the first and second directions in the joint surface, whereby the side wall and lid member are sealed more reliably to each other.
Also, it will be preferred if there are a plurality of projections. The plurality of projections more reliably prevent the low-melting metal from flowing into the center part of the substrate.
Further, it will be preferred if a projection other than that formed on the innermost side in the plurality of projections is airtightly joined to the lid member while holding the low-melting metal therebetween. In this case, the joint of the lid member is multiplied, so as to realize more reliably airtight joint.
Furthermore, it will be preferred if the plurality of projections are airtightly joined to the lid member while holding the low-melting metal therebetween, and the width of the projection formed on the inner side in a direction along the inner face of the substrate is smaller than the width of the projection formed on the outer side in the direction along the inner face. Such a structure can reduce the amount of gases released from the low-melting metal on the projection on the inner side, secure the joint area in the outer projection, and realize a reliable joint while restraining the gases from entering the inside.
It will also be preferred if the projection has a groove part communicating a space surrounded by the projection with a space on the outside of the projection. Providing such a groove can make the airtightness on the inside higher by letting out the gases generated by the joint.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment mentioned above. For example, the number of frame-like projections formed on the upper substrate 2 or lower substrate 4 is not limited to any specific number. In
As will be explained in the following, frame-like projections on the substrates 2, 4 may be formed with joint layers, or the joint layers on a plurality of projections may be varied in terms of thickness.
In
When the upper substrate 2 and lower substrate 4 are joined to each other by pressing them against each other at the time of joining the upper substrate 2 and lower substrate 4 to each other in such a photomultiplier tube 51, the projections 52a and 52b are initially joined together by coming into contact with each other. Further pressing deforms the joint layer 54b on the projection 52b, thereby bringing the projection 42a and frame 3a into contact with the projection 42b and frame 3b, respectively, and thus joining them to each other. Here, the joint layer 54b has such a smaller width as to yield a less amount of gas at the time of joining and thus can reduce the gas flow into the vacuum container 5, whereas the projection 42b and frame 3b have relatively large widths and thus can sufficiently keep the airtightness in the vacuum container 5. On the other hand, the gas generated when joining the projection 42b and frame 3b to each other does not flow into the vacuum container 5 due to bonding of the projection 52b, whereby an improvement in the degree of vacuum and the maintenance of airtightness can be achieved at the same time within the vacuum container 5.
In
The thickness of the joint layer formed on the frame-like projections or frames on the substrates 2, 4 may be changed gradually or stepwise along the marginal parts of the substrates 2, 4. In
Though the vacuum devices of the above-mentioned embodiments are photomultiplier tubes, the present invention is applicable to various vacuum devices. For example, it can be applied to electron tubes such as phototubes having no electron multiplier parts, discharge tubes encapsulating specific gases therein, vacuum devices incorporating electron guns therein, ionizers, light-emitting/light-detecting devices manufactured in semiconductor processes such as display tubes, LED, PD, CCD, and organic EL, and semiconductor devices and the like whose functions improve when the inside is made vacuum or a specific gas is encapsulated in the inside, e.g., PDP (Plasma Display Panel), MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) type pressure sensors, MEMS type shock sensors, MEMS type mirror devices, MEMS type optical choppers, and the like.
The present invention relates to a vacuum device having a vacuum-sealed package, a sealing structure of the package in the vacuum device in particular, and makes it possible to sufficiently keep the airtightness in a vacuum container even when it is made smaller.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-234112 | Aug 2005 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2006/312901 | 6/28/2006 | WO | 00 | 12/12/2007 |