Patents Assigned to INFICON AG
  • Patent number: 12553786
    Abstract: A method for operating a group of pressure sensors is provided. First and second pressure sensors respectively have first and second pressure measurement ranges, and are arranged to measure the pressure in a common measurement volume, and have measurement ranges that overlap in a range. The method comprises: aa) reading out first and second measurement signals respectively from the first and second pressure sensors substantially simultaneously while the pressure in the common measurement volume is in the overlapping range; bb) stipulating the first measurement signal which has been read out as the adjustment point for the second pressure sensor; cc) determining at least one calibration parameter, in particular a gas-dependent calibration parameter, for the second pressure sensor as a function of the first measurement signal, as a function of the adjustment point for the second pressure sensor, as stipulated in bb), and as a function of the second measurement signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Christian Berg, Rolf Enderes, Martin Wüest, Bernhard Andreaus
  • Patent number: 12480831
    Abstract: Method for operating a group 1 of pressure sensors which are arranged in such a manner that they can measure the pressure in a common measurement volume 2, wherein the group of pressure sensors comprises at least a first pressure sensor 1? with a first pressure measurement range and a second pressure sensor 1? with a second pressure measurement range, wherein the first and second pressure measurement ranges overlap in an overlap pressure measurement range, wherein the first and second pressure sensors are each based on an indirect pressure measurement principle and are configured to output a measurement signal calibrated to a reference gas, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) providing calibration data specific to the type of gas for the first measurement signal and for the second measurement signal, which calibration data describe a dependence of the first and second measurement signals on the effective pressure and on a list of types of gas, respectively; b) recording a first and a second meas
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2025
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Andreaus, Rolf Enderes, Christian Berg, Martin Wüest
  • Patent number: 12406836
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for plasma generation in a wide pressure range. The device comprises a first plasma source (1) in a first discharge chamber (2) in order to generate a first plasma in a low-pressure range, a second plasma source (3) in a second discharge chamber (4) in order to generate a second plasma in a high-pressure range, a first coupling element (5) for coupling the device to a system, in order to guide gas out of the system, and a second coupling element (6) for coupling the device to an optical sensor (12). The first discharge chamber (2) has a first optical connection with at least one optical lens (7, 8) to the second coupling element (6) and the second discharge chamber (4) has a second optical connection with at least one optical lens (8) to the second coupling element (6). This invention further relates to a system for optical gas analysis or gas detection and corresponding methods for plasma generation and for operating the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Astrid Waldner, Bernhard Andreaus, Urs Wälchli, Stefan Kaiser
  • Patent number: 12287254
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a measurement cell assembly for determining a pressure in a pressure cell (2) are given, wherein the method consists in that a measurement signal (x) is determined, which is at least proportional to a measured pressure in the pressure cell (2), and in that the measurement signal (x) is filtered by means of a first filter unit (10) having a low-pass characteristic in order to produce an output signal (y), wherein the low-pass characteristics of the first filter unit (10) is defined by means of a first damping factor (?1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventor: Felix Mullis
  • Publication number: 20250046589
    Abstract: A chamber, for bounding a plasma generation area in a vacuum pressure sensor, includes an electrically conductive casing element located radially on an outside relative to a central axis. The chamber includes electrically conductive wall elements arranged substantially perpendicular to the central axis and connected to the electrically conductive casing element. At least one of the wall elements has a first opening, through which the central axis extends. The electrically conductive casing element comprises at least a first and a second region. The first region is located closer to the central axis than the second region. The electrically conductive casing element is conical at least in part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Urs WÄLCHLI, Stefan KAISER, Bernhard ANDREAUS, Martin WÜEST, Astrid WALDNER, Michael TREFZER
  • Patent number: 12154771
    Abstract: Chamber (11, 12, 13) for bounding a plasma generation area (42) in a vacuum pressure sensor (40), wherein the chamber comprises an electrically conductive casing element (1, 1?, 1?) located radially on the outside relative to a central axis, wherein the chamber comprises electrically conductive wall elements (2, 2?, 2?) arranged substantially perpendicular to the central axis and connected to the casing element, wherein at least one of the wall elements has a first opening (3), through which the central axis extends, wherein the casing element comprises at least a first (B1) and a second region (B2), wherein the first region is located closer to the central axis than the second region. The invention further relates to a vacuum pressure sensor comprising the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Urs Wälchli, Stefan Kaiser, Bernhard Andreaus, Martin Wüest, Astrid Waldner, Michael Trefzer
  • Patent number: 12096545
    Abstract: A vacuum feedthrough (10) which is constructed in radial layers comprises the following elements (from inwards to outwards): —a lens element (11), —a first ring (12) made of glass, —a first hollow cylinder (13) made of a first dielectric material, —a first electrically conductive layer (18), —a second hollow cylinder (14) made of glass, —a third hollow cylinder (15) made of ceramic, —a second ring made of glass (16), and—a frame (17) made of metal. On the basis of the vacuum feedthrough, the invention additionally relates to an electrode assembly, to a device for generating a DBD plasma discharge, to a measuring device for characterizing a pressure and/or a gas composition, and to a method for operating the measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Andreaus, Astrid Waldner
  • Patent number: 12085467
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method 100 for determining a pressure in a vacuum system, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) generating 101 a plasma in a sample chamber which is fluid-dynamically connected to the vacuum system and which is in electrical contact with a first electrode and a second electrode; b) measuring 102 a current intensity of an electrical current flowing through the plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode; c) measuring 103 a first radiation intensity of electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength range which is emitted from the plasma, wherein the first wavelength range contains at least a first emission line of a first plasma species of a first chemical element; d) measuring 104 a second radiation intensity of electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength range which is emitted from the plasma, wherein the second wavelength range contains a second emission line of the first plasma species of the first chemical element or of a second plasma species of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Carsten Strietzel, Urs Wälchli, Stefan Kaiser, Christian Riesch, Bernhard Andreaus, Mario Weder
  • Patent number: 11976992
    Abstract: A vacuum pressure sensor includes a vacuum-tight electrical feedthrough. The feedthrough has an electrically insulating insulator element with a through-opening, having a first boundary surface adjacent to the through-opening and a second boundary surface also adjacent to the through-opening and opposite to the first boundary surface, and an electrically conductive conductor element which extends through the through-opening and which is connected to the insulator element in a vacuum-tight manner along a circumferential line of the conductor element. The insulator element is transmissive to electromagnetic radiation in an optical wavelength range and the first boundary surface and/or the second boundary surface is formed as a curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Stefan Kaiser, Bernhard Andreaus
  • Patent number: 11164731
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ionization vacuum measuring cell (10) comprising an evacuable housing (12) with a measurement connection for a vacuum to be measured at an end portion; a measurement chamber (14) in the housing (12), said measurement chamber being fluidically connected to the measurement connection, wherein the measurement chamber (14) is designed as a replaceable component; and a first and a second electrode (16, 18) in the measurement chamber (14), said electrodes being substantially coaxial to an axis and being arranged at a distance from each other. The measuring cell further comprises an electrically insulating and vacuum-tight feedthrough (20) for an electric supply to the second electrode (18) and a magnetization assembly which is designed to generate a magnetic field in the ionization chamber. According to the invention, the measurement chamber (14), in particular at least one of the electrodes (16, 18), comprises a magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventor: Martin Wüest
  • Patent number: 11029175
    Abstract: Method for determining a pressure in a pressure cell, the method consisting in determining a measuring signal (x) that is at least proportional to a measured pressure in the pressure cell, generating an output signal (y) from the measuring signal (x) using a filter unit (10) comprising a transfer function by at least reducing, preferably eliminating, a noise signal contained in the measuring signal determining a change over time of the measuring signal (x), and setting the transfer function as a function of the change over time of the measuring signal (x). A measuring cell arrangement is also specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventor: Felix Mullis
  • Patent number: 9791339
    Abstract: Arrangement with capacitive pressure-measuring cell has a diaphragm for measuring vacuum pressure and a printed circuit board acting as a temperature sensor and another electronic component designed as a microchip that contains a digital signal processor with a temperature-to-digital converter and a capacitance-to-digital converter using a time measuring method. The converters determine temperature and capacitance of the cell in comparison to a reference resistor for temperature arranged on the printed circuit board and reference capacitor for capacitance for the pressure to be measured dependent on deformation of the diaphragm. A temperature-corrected pressure signal derived from the two measured signals uses correlation, the measured signals having been determined in advance from a calibration process, and the temperature-corrected pressure signal is provided as a pressure signal at the signal output for further processing. In this manner there is quick pressure measurement with high measuring accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Felix Mullis, Martin Wuest
  • Publication number: 20150346044
    Abstract: Arrangement with capacitive pressure-measuring cell has a diaphragm for measuring vacuum pressure and a printed circuit board acting as a temperature sensor and another electronic component designed as a microchip that contains a digital signal processor with a temperature-to-digital converter and a capacitance-to-digital converter using a time measuring method. The converters determine temperature and capacitance of the cell in comparison to a reference resistor for temperature arranged on the printed circuit board and reference capacitor for capacitance for the pressure to be measured dependent on deformation of the diaphragm. A temperature-corrected pressure signal derived from the two measured signals uses correlation, the measured signals having been determined in advance from a calibration process, and the temperature-corrected pressure signal is provided as a pressure signal at the signal output for further processing. In this manner there is quick pressure measurement with high measuring accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: INFICON AG
    Inventors: Felix MULLIS, Martin WUEST