MEMS tandem ion-sorption micropump

This paper presents a two-stage MEMS ion-sorption micropump, which works in a wide range of pressures—it allows efficient evacuation of gases from the internal volume of any microsystem starting from atmospheric pressure down to 10⁻⁶ hPa. The miniature pre-vacuum pump is realized as a two-electrode silicon–glass structure with a very close inter-electrode distance. The use of the silicon substrate as a getter material instead of a metallic layer significantly increases the pumping capacity and as a result, the initial pressure can be reduced to a level of 1 hPa. From this point the pumping is continued with the second glow-discharge high vacuum micropump. This pump is a multilayer structure, in which ions are trapped in crossed electric and magnetic fields. It allows further reduction of pressure down to 10⁻⁶ hPa. Both pumps are technologically compatible and together they enable the on-chip generation of avacuum at the desired level in a variety of miniaturized devices. (paper)