Unitary vacuum tube incorporating high voltage isolation

• US 20030137243A1
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eotech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kenneth A. Costello
• Inventors: Costello, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,837,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/523
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2231/50073 Charge coupled device [CCD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/86 Vessels; Containers; Vacuum locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/505 flat tubes, e.g. proximity focusing tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/26 Sealing together parts of vessels

Abstract

A housing for microelectronic devices requiring an internal vacuum for operation, e.g., an image detector, is formed by tape casting and incorporates leads between interior and exterior of said housing where said leads are disposed on a facing surface of green tape layers. Adjacent green tape layers having corresponding apertures therein are stacked on a first closure member to form a resulting cavity and increased electrical isolation or channel sub-structures are achievable by forming adjacent layers with aperture dimension which vary non-monotonically. After assembly of the device within the cavity, a second closure member is sealed against an open face of the package in a vacuum environment to produce a vacuum sealed device.

Claims

1. A housing for a vacuum microelectronic device, said housing comprising

(a) a laminated structure comprising first and second planar end plates and a plurality of intermediate planar plates disposed therebetween,

(b) at least three of said intermediate plates each comprising an aperture of respective area and said three plates disposed serially in substantial alignment of said apertures whereby a cavity is formed in said laminated structure,

said at least three aperture areas varying non-monotonically in said series.

2. The housing of claim 1 wherein said first planar end plate supports at least a portion of said microelectronic device.

3. The housing of claim 1 wherein said first and second planar end plates and said plurality of intermediate planar plates comprise ceramic.

4. The housing of claim 2 wherein said second planar end plate is adjacent one said plurality of intermediate plates and sealed thereto by a soft metal layer, said soft metal capable of bonding to said ceramic.

5. The housing of claim 1 wherein a getter material is deposited on at least on said planar end plates.

6. A housing for a vacuum microelectronic device, said housing comprising

(a) a laminated structure comprising first and second planar end plates and a plurality of intermediate planar plates disposed therebetween,

(b) at least three of said intermediate plates each comprising an aperture of respective area and said three plates disposed serially in substantial alignment of said apertures whereby a cavity is formed in said laminated structure,

said at least three aperture areas varying non-monotonically in said series.

7. An imaging detector for acquiring a representation of an image, comprising

a housing capable of sustaining a vacuum therein, said housing further comprising a ceramic body defining a cavity and having lateral walls and a base member, and a transparent closure member for admitting light to an interior surface of said housing,

a photocathode disposed on the interior surface of said closure member for intercepting illumination by said image and for producing an electron flux distribution in substantial proportion to the illumination distribution of said image,

an array of electron-sensitive elements supported from said base member,

an anode capable of sustaining an accelerating potential with respect to said photocathode whereby said electron flux experiences a trajectory intercepted by said array,

said housing comprising an inwardly protruding lateral member for extending the surface area between said photocathode and and said anode whereby the electrical isolation therebetween is increased.

8. The imaging detector of claim 7 wherein said transparent closure member is received in a recess including a shelf surface and a lateral surface, said shelf surface supporting a peripheral portion of said closure member.

9. The imaging detector of claim 8 wherein a soft metal is interposed between said shelf surface and said closure member.

10. The imaging detector of claim 8 wherein a soft metal is interposed between said lateral surface and said closure member.

11. The imaging detector of claim 7 wherein at least one said lateral wall comprises a plurality of discrete electrical communication leads said leads being integrally formed in said wall.

12. The imaging detector of claim 7 wherein a gettering material is deposited peripherally in respect to said photocathode.

13. A housing for vacuum electronic microdevices, comprising,

an open structure defining a cavity therein, said open structure comprising lateral walls and an end member,

and a closure member adapted for vacuum sealing against said open structure, said open structure comprising a plurality of refractory metal leads formed through at least one said lateral wall from the interior of said cavity to the exterior of said wall,

said structure formed from a plurality of stacked planar ceramic layers and said metal leads deposited on at least one planar surface of at least one said layer.

14. The method of achieving a vacuum seal of a closure member to a planar ceramic surface bounded by an outward peripheral lateral ceramic lip and an inwardly disposed aperture , comprising the steps of

metallizing said planar ceramic surface with a metallization for which a selected low melting point metal exhibits a relatively high solubility,

applying a preformed gasket of said low melting point metal to said metallized planar surface surrounding said aperture where a seal is desired and wetting said surface with said metal in the fluid state thereof,

urging said closure member against said metal with sufficient force in a range to cause cold flow of said metal outwardly around said outer lip and to limit said cold flow inwardly to said aperture, whereby a parallel relation of said planar surface with said closure member is facilitated, and

relaxing said force.

15. The method of packaging a vacuum microelectronic device, said device comprising a semiconductor die, comprising the steps of

fabricating a housing and forming a cavity within said housing, wherein said die and said cavity exhibit similar geometric symmetry,

inserting a semiconductor die into said package,

orienting said die within said package whereby the volume of said package is efficiently employed.

16. A housing for a vacuum microelectronic device, said housing comprising

a. a laminated structure comprising first and second planar end plates and a plurality of intermediate planar plates disposed therebetween,

b. at least two of said intermediate plates each comprising a plurality of apertures of respective areas and said two plates disposed serially in substantial alignment of said apertures whereby a respective plurality of cavities is formed in said laminated structure,

one of said two plates comprising a passage connecting at least two of said plurality of apertures.

17. The housing of claim 16 wherein one said cavity comprises surfaces supporting a gettering material whereby the vacuum in said connected cavities is maintained.

18. A housing for a vacuum microelectronic device, said housing comprising

(a) a laminated structure comprising first and second planar end plates and a plurality of intermediate planar plates disposed therebetween,

(b) at least two of said intermediate plates each comprising an aperture of respective area and said two plates disposed serially and adjacent one said end plate, and said two plates in substantial alignment of said apertures whereby a cavity is formed in said laminated structure.

19. The housing of claim 18 wherein a getter material is deposited on at least one said planar end plates