Method and apparatus to reduce the leakage rate of a hermetic cavity
First Claim
1. A chip scale vapor cell comprising:
- a first substrate;
a second substrate bonded to the first substrate with a bonding material, the second substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
a primary hermetic cavity comprising;
a first bottom wall and first sidewalls formed in the first substrate; and
a first top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate;
a secondary hermetic cavity comprising a second bottom wall and second sidewalls formed in the first substrate, and a second top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate, the secondary hermetic cavity being separate from the primary hermetic cavity, and the secondary hermetic cavity comprising;
a first region surrounding a perimeter of the primary hermetic cavity; and
a second region lying under the primary hermetic cavity, the first and second regions being conjoined; and
a gas sealed in the primary hermetic cavity and the secondary hermetic cavity at an initial pressure, the gas comprising a dipolar molecule.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A chip scale vapor cell and millimeter wave atomic clock apparatus are disclosed. The chip scale vapor cell includes a first substrate and a second substrate bonded to the first substrate with a bonding material. A primary hermetic cavity includes a first bottom wall and first sidewalls formed in the first substrate and a first top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate. A secondary hermetic cavity includes a second bottom wall and second sidewalls formed in the first substrate and a second top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate. The secondary hermetic cavity is separate from the primary hermetic cavity and surrounds the perimeter of the primary hermetic cavity. A gas, which can be a dipolar molecular gas, is sealed in the primary hermetic cavity and the secondary hermetic cavity at a given initial pressure.
5 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A chip scale vapor cell comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate bonded to the first substrate with a bonding material, the second substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; a primary hermetic cavity comprising;
a first bottom wall and first sidewalls formed in the first substrate; and
a first top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate;a secondary hermetic cavity comprising a second bottom wall and second sidewalls formed in the first substrate, and a second top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate, the secondary hermetic cavity being separate from the primary hermetic cavity, and the secondary hermetic cavity comprising;
a first region surrounding a perimeter of the primary hermetic cavity; and
a second region lying under the primary hermetic cavity, the first and second regions being conjoined; anda gas sealed in the primary hermetic cavity and the secondary hermetic cavity at an initial pressure, the gas comprising a dipolar molecule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A chip scale vapor cell comprising:
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a first substrate; a second substrate bonded to the first substrate with a bonding material, the second substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface; a primary hermetic cavity comprising a first bottom wall and first sidewalls formed in the first substrate and a first top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate; a secondary hermetic cavity comprising a second bottom wall and second sidewalls formed in the first substrate, a second top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate, the secondary hermetic cavity being separate from the primary hermetic cavity and surrounding a perimeter of the primary hermetic cavity; and a gas sealed in the primary hermetic cavity and the secondary hermetic cavity at an initial pressure, the gas comprising a dipolar molecule; the first bottom wall, first sidewalls and first top wall comprising a conductive surface, and the first top wall comprising;
a first non-conductive aperture on the lower surface of the second substrate that provides an electromagnetic field entrance to the primary hermetic cavity; and
a second non-conductive aperture on the lower surface of the second substrate; and
spaced from the first non-conductive aperture, that provides an electromagnetic field exit from the primary hermetic cavity. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A millimeter wave atomic clock apparatus comprising:
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a vapor cell, comprising; a first substrate, a second substrate bonded to the first substrate with a bonding material, the second substrate comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, a primary hermetic cavity comprising a first bottom wall and first sidewalls formed in the first substrate and a first top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate, a secondary hermetic cavity comprising a second bottom wall and second sidewalls formed in the first substrate, a second top wall formed by the lower surface of the second substrate, the secondary hermetic cavity being separate from the primary hermetic cavity, the secondary hermetic cavity surrounding a perimeter of the primary hermetic cavity and a dipolar molecular gas sealed in the primary hermetic cavity and the secondary hermetic cavity at a given initial pressure; and a transceiver circuit mounted to the second substrate and electrically coupled to provide an alternating electrical output signal at a first end of the primary hermetic cavity and to receive an alternating electrical input signal at a second end of the primary hermetic cavity, the transceiver circuit coupled to selectively adjust a frequency of the alternating electrical output signal and to provide a reference clock signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification