Abstract
In this study, a cylindrical triode ultrahigh vacuum ionization gauge with a screen-printed carbon nanotube (CNT) electron source was developed, and its metrological performance in different gases was systematically investigated using an ultrahigh vacuum system. The resulting ionization gauge with a CNT cathode responded linearly to nitrogen, argon, and air pressures in the range from ~4.0 ± 1.0 × 10−7 to 6 × 10−4 Pa, which is the first reported CNT emitter-based ionization gauge whose lower limit of pressure measurement is lower than its hot cathode counterpart. In addition, the sensitivities of this novel gauge were ~0.05 Pa−1 for nitrogen, ~0.06 Pa−1 for argon, and ~0.04 Pa−1 for air, respectively. The trend of sensitivity with anode voltage, obtained by the experimental method, was roughly consistent with that gained through theoretical simulation. The advantages of the present sensor (including low power consumption for electron emissions, invisible to infrared light radiation and thermal radiation, high stability, etc.) mean that it has potential applications in space exploration.
Highlights
Maurizio Passacantando andIn recent years, ultrahigh and extremely high vacuum pressure measurements have become widely demanded in many science and engineering fields [1,2,3], including space exploration, surface science, particle accelerator, storage ring, etc
Recent studies [8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19] have shown that ionization gauges with carbon nanotube (CNT) cathodes have unique advantages, such as low power consumption for electron emissions, fast responses, free from visible to infrared light radiation and thermal radiation, etc., in extremely low pressure measurements, which are largely due to the application of the novel CNT
The CNT cathode ionization gauges have several advantages; in reality, none of the reported ionization gauges with CNT cathodes have a lower limit of pressure measurement than that of corresponding hot cathodes with the same structural
Summary
Maurizio Passacantando andIn recent years, ultrahigh and extremely high vacuum pressure measurements have become widely demanded in many science and engineering fields [1,2,3], including space exploration, surface science, particle accelerator, storage ring, etc. Recent studies [8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19] have shown that ionization gauges with carbon nanotube (CNT) cathodes have unique advantages, such as low power consumption for electron emissions, fast responses, free from visible to infrared light radiation and thermal radiation, etc., in extremely low pressure measurements, which are largely due to the application of the novel CNT field emission cathode. The CNT cathode ionization gauges have several advantages; in reality, none of the reported ionization gauges with CNT cathodes have a lower limit of pressure measurement than that of corresponding hot cathodes with the same structural
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