US 12,014,913 B2
Reducing plasma formation in an ion pump
Evan Privet, Shakopee, MN (US); and Marcus Hans Robert Thierley, Shakopee, MN (US)
Assigned to Edwards Vacuum LLC, Sanborn, NY (US)
Appl. No. 17/640,673
Filed by Edwards Vacuum LLC, Sanborn, NY (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/058239
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 4, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/044353, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1912826 (GB), filed on Sep. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0328294 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. H01J 41/12 (2006.01); F04B 37/02 (2006.01); H01J 17/22 (2012.01); H01J 17/24 (2012.01)
CPC H01J 41/12 (2013.01) [F04B 37/02 (2013.01); H01J 17/22 (2013.01); H01J 17/24 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ion pump controller configured to alternate between increasing and decreasing a potential difference between an anode and a cathode of an ion pump multiple times during the starting of pumping, so as to limit formation of plasma in a pumping chamber of the ion pump while causing ions near the anode to move toward the cathode,
wherein the ion pump controller is configured to alternate between increasing and decreasing the potential difference between the anode and cathode until a condition is met and then increases the potential difference between the anode and cathode until the potential difference between the anode and cathode reaches a target potential difference, the condition being whether the potential difference between the anode and the cathode is greater than a threshold.