Features, Applications and Benefits

 

Features:

  • Incorporates vacuum sensor element and temperature compensation sensor on the same chip
  • Extended measurement range from 10-5 to 1000 mbar
  • Gas pressure can be measured in volumes as low as <0.1 cm3
  • Pirani microwire-to-wall distance adjusted by silicon micromachining, down to 10 um with ± 10% sensor-to-sensor reproducibility
  • Very low operating power consumption (<10mW in ATM, < 2mW in HV)
  • Fast response time < 30 ms with large electronics bandwidth
  • Perfect temperature compensation due to matching of compensation and heating resistors, facilitated by the micro structured platinum-nickel thin film process
  • Low noise/excellent pressure resolution due to short wire-electronics distance
  • Easy integration in miniature systems
  • Insensitive to mounting position
  • High shock survivability due to small size (1000 g)
  • Resistance to corrosive gases used in semiconductor and other manufacturing processes

Applications:

  • Analytical instruments (electron microscopes and mass spectrometers)
  • Leak detection in thermal isolation or any closed sensitive electronic system maintained under primary vacuum (e.g., load cells in exposed and / or harsh environments for weighing)
  • Semiconductor manufacturing, e.g., sputtering chambers, freeze dryers, vacuum coating,
  • Food industry (vacuum meat packing machines)
  • Portable instruments (hand tools)
  • Small mechanical systems (e.g. pumping) in order to achieve specified pressure levels
  • In general, size considerations of miniature Pirani sensors result in smaller footprints facilitating ease of integration in a wide variety of other instruments or panels requiring low pressure control, such as flat panel displays, hard disks, or biotech process instruments.

Benefits:

  • High performance / repeatability: MEMs Pirani approach results in a transducer with higher performance and repeatability than is possible with classical mechanical approaches, due to an excellent matching of the thin film resistors and perfect control of the temperature difference between the hot to cold parts
  • Operating temperature: is lower than that of conventional Pirani gauges, allowing the use of such a sensor in reactive atmospheres.
  • Integrated MEMs technology: The signal conditioning achieved through the integration of MEMS devices and onboard electronics facilitates simpler compensation, increased pressure range and lower noise
  • Ease of sensor assembly and interfacing: small size of the Neroxis Pirani sensor, combined with different packages such as TO or SMD ceramic package, leads to easy sensor insertion and combination with other components in one housing, thereby reducing the required interfacing with the vacuum system.
  • Superior reproducibility: of silicon batch MEMS micro machined sensors in terms of geometry and matching of resistors facilitates sensor replacement and calibration in measuring instruments.
  • Miniaturisation: Due to small size, Pirani sensors are more robust, shock resistant and faster