US 11,715,616 B2
Dual low vacuum-ultrahigh vacuum system for large-scale production of micro-channel plate photomultipliers
Henry J. Frisch, Chicago, IL (US); Evan Angelico, San Marcos, CA (US); Andrey Elagin, Bolingbrook, IL (US); Eric Spieglan, Lisle, IL (US); and Bernhard W. Adams, Naperville, IL (US)
Assigned to THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/82,292.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/928,598, filed on Oct. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0134552 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. B23K 1/00 (2006.01); B23K 3/00 (2006.01); H01J 9/12 (2006.01); H01J 37/244 (2006.01); G01T 1/202 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 9/12 (2013.01) [B23K 1/0008 (2013.01); G01T 1/202 (2013.01); H01J 37/244 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
7. A method for fabricating a plurality of microchannel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) detectors using a system comprising:
a low-vacuum vessel comprising a housing and a seal, wherein the housing and the seal define an interior volume;
a low-vacuum pumping system comprising at least one pump connected to the low-vacuum vessel;
a plurality of detector modules contained within the low-vacuum vessel, each detector module comprising:
a window;
a base, wherein the window and the base define an internal volume of the detector module; and
a microchannel-plate photomultiplier tube detector disposed within the internal volume of the detector module;
one or more heaters in thermal communication with the detector modules;
an ultrahigh-vacuum manifold connected to the internal volumes of the detector modules; and
an ultrahigh-vacuum system comprising at least one pump connected to the ultrahigh-vacuum manifold,
the method comprising:
placing solder into a gap between the window and the base of the detector modules or adjacent to a gap between the window and the base of the detector modules;
evacuating the internal volume of the low-vacuum vessel to a low vacuum pressure in the range from 10−5 to 10−8 Torr;
evacuating the ultrahigh-vacuum manifold and the internal volumes of the detector modules to an ultrahigh vacuum pressure of 10−9 Torr or lower;
heating the detector modules to a temperature at which the solder melts to fill the gaps between the windows and the bases, while the low vacuum pressure is maintained in the internal volume of the low-vacuum vessel and the ultrahigh vacuum pressure is maintained in the internal volumes of the detector modules;
cooling the detector modules to a temperature at which the solder solidifies to form a solder seal between the windows and the bases, while the low vacuum pressure is maintained in the internal volume of the low-vacuum vessel and the ultrahigh vacuum pressure is maintained in the internal volumes of the detector modules; and
releasing the vacuum in the internal volume of the low-vacuum vessel.