A Single-Stage Micromachined Vacuum Pump Achieving 164 Torr Absolute Pressure

We are developing a micromachined vacuum pump for portable analytical instruments that is comprised of a mechanical roughing pump integrated with a micromachined ion pump. The focus of this paper is on the development of the roughing pump. We have fabricated two generations of micromachined displacement vacuum pumps to explore various design options. Through optimization of design and operation, we can now report a pump that achieves 164 torr absolute pressure, which is to our knowledge the lowest measured pressure in a micromachined vacuum pump operated from atmospheric pressure.