Paul Grover Arnold
Engineers at Arapahoe, Boulder, CO

5422573, Jun 6, 1995

Dec 10, 1993

8/164953

Daniel G. Bills - Boulder CO
Michael D. Borenstein - Louisville CO
Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO

Granville-Phillips Company - Boulder CO

G01L 2132

324460

Ionization gauge and method of operating same where the gauge may be of the Bayard-Alpert type and include a shield which completely encloses the electron source, the anode, and the collector electrode so that potentials external to the shield do not disturb the electric charge distribution within the shielded volume to thus stabilize the sensitivity of the gauge. The ionization gauge is further characterized by the following features which may be present either alone or in combination including: (a) the anode is provided with end caps which extend radially inward at least 25% of the radius of the anode but not more than 75% of the radius; (b) the ion collector has a diameter of not less than 0. 015 in. and not more than 0. 080 in. ; (c) the ion collector extends at its free end at least through one of the partial end caps of the anode; (d) the electron source is not substantially longer axially than the region within the anode volume in which the electric field is predominantly directed radially inward and where the electron source is located substantially only adjacent to the foregoing region; (e) the anode is provided with a substantially uniformly transparent grid structure in the regions where the electrons enter the anode volume and where they exit from the anode volume.

7313966, Jan 1, 2008

Dec 14, 2004

11/012871

Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US
Larry K. Carmichael - Platteville CO, US
Paul M. Rutt - Longmont CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01L 19/04

73708

A method and apparatus for measuring gas pressure by combining an ionization gauge with at least one other vacuum sensor. Nonvolatile memory coupled to the vacuum gauge contains calibration parameters unique to each individual sensor based on factory calibration. The nonvolatile memory may contain calibration parameters for a heat-sensitive vacuum sensor to compensate for the temperature gradients generated by the ionization gauge. The calibration parameters are a function of calibration data determined when the ionization gauge is both on and off. The nonvolatile memory may store a window of measurement data of the vacuum gauge that is updated at predetermined time intervals and in response to an event, such as an error event, to aid in investigating the cause of vacuum gauge malfunction or failure.

7429863, Sep 30, 2008

Jul 18, 2006

11/488457

Larry K. Carmichael - Platteville CO, US
Michael D. Borenstein - Boulder CO, US
Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US
Stephen C. Blouch - Boulder CO, US
Richard A. Knott - Broomfield CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01N 27/62, G01L 21/30

324460, 324459, 315 95, 315108

A method and apparatus for operating a multi-hot-cathode ionization gauge is provided to increase the operational lifetime of the ionization gauge in gaseous process environments. In example embodiments, the life of a spare cathode is extended by heating the spare cathode to a temperature that is insufficient to emit electrons but that is sufficient to decrease the amount of material that deposits on its surface or is optimized to decrease the chemical interaction between a process gas and a material of the at least one spare cathode. The spare cathode may be constantly or periodically heated. In other embodiments, after a process pressure passes a given pressure threshold, plural cathodes may be heated to a non-emitting temperature, plural cathodes may be heated to a lower emitting temperature, or an emitting cathode may be heated to a temperature that decreases the electron emission current.

7249516, Jul 31, 2007

Jun 7, 2005

11/146721

Michael D. Borenstein - Boulder CO, US
Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01L 9/02

73719, 73734, 73750, 73725, 73746

In a resistively heated heat-loss pressure gauge, electrical current is switched between a sensing element and a compensating element at different duty cycles. As a result, the sensing element is heated relative to the compensating element. A fixed resistance is placed in series with at least the compensating element. The current source applies current to heat the sensing element to a temperature at which the resistance of the sensing element matches the combined resistance of the compensating element and the fixed resistive element.

7418869, Sep 2, 2008

May 24, 2006

11/439875

Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US
Michael D. Borenstein - Boulder CO, US
Paul M. Rutt - Longmont CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01L 7/00

73700, 73715, 73716

A combination vacuum gauge provides simultaneous absolute and differential pressure measurements over a wide-range of pressures ranging from atmospheric pressures to ultrahigh vacuum by processing the readings of (i) an absolute high vacuum gauge (e. g. , an ionization gauge and/or a heat-loss sensor) and an absolute or a differential low vacuum gauge (e. g. , a diaphragm sensor) exposed, through a common port, to pressures in a measurement region, and (ii) a barometric absolute pressure sensor exposed to the ambient atmosphere outside the measurement region. The barometric absolute pressure sensor reading may be used to convert the differential vacuum gauge reading from uncalibrated differential pressure to calibrated absolute pressure or to convert the absolute vacuum gauge reading from absolute pressure to differential pressure.

7768267, Aug 3, 2010

Jul 11, 2007

11/827370

Richard A. Knott - Broomfield CO, US
Gerardo A. Brucker - Longmont CO, US
Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01L 21/30, G01L 21/32, H05B 31/26

324460, 250397, 31511191

An ionization gauge that eliminates a hot cathode or filament, but maintains a level of precision of gas density measurements approaching that of a hot cathode ionization gauge. The ionization gauge includes a collector electrode disposed in an ionization volume, an electron source without a heated cathode, and an electrostatic shutter that regulates the flow of electrons between the electron source and the ionization volume. The electrostatic shutter controls the flow of electrons based on feedback from an anode defining the ionization volume. The electron source can be a Penning or glow discharge ionization gauge.

7030619, Apr 18, 2006

Mar 12, 2004

10/799446

Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US
Paul M. Rutt - Berthoud CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01L 21/30, G01N 27/62

324460, 324464

An ionization gauge for isolating an electron source from gas molecules includes the electron source for generating electrons, a collector electrode for collecting ions formed by the impact between the electrons and gas molecules, and an electron window which isolates the electron source from the gas molecules. The ionization gauge can have an anode which defines an anode volume and retains the electrons in a region of the anode. The ionization gauge can have a plurality of electron sources and/or collector electrodes. The collector electrode(s) can be located within the anode volume or outside the anode volume. The ionization gauge can have a mass filter for separating the ions based on mass-to-charge ratio. The ionization gauge can be a Bayard-Alpert type that measures pressure or a residual gas analyzer that determines a gas type.

7295015, Nov 13, 2007

Feb 14, 2006

11/354278

Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO, US
Paul M. Rutt - Longmont CO, US

Brooks Automation, Inc. - Chelmsford MA

G01L 21/30, G01N 27/62

324460, 324464

An ionization gauge for isolating an electron source from gas molecules includes the electron source for generating electrons, a collector electrode for collecting ions formed by the impact between the electrons and gas molecules, and an electron window which isolates the electron source from the gas molecules. The ionization gauge can have an anode which defines an anode volume and decelerates and retains the electrons in a region of the anode. The ionization gauge can have a plurality of electron sources and/or collector electrodes. The collector electrode(s) are be located within the anode volume. The ionization gauge can be a Bayard-Alpert type that measures pressure.

4636680, Jan 13, 1987

May 24, 1983

6/497581

Daniel G. Bills - Boulder CO
Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO
Stephen L. Dodgen - Boulder CO
Craig B. Van Cleve - Boulder CO

Granville-Phillips Company - Boulder CO

A47B 500

313 7

An ionization gauge of the type including a source of electrons, an accelerating electrode for accelerating said electrons through a volume generally defined by said accelerating electrode and a collector electrode, disposed in the volume. Ions are collected by the collector electrode. The accelerating electrode comprises a substantially closed anode having an internal cavity to precisely define the volume. An aperture is disposed to admit said electrons from the source into the closed volume.

4307323, Dec 22, 1981

Apr 4, 1980

6/137461

Daniel G. Bills - Boulder CO
Paul C. Arnold - Boulder CO

Granville-Phillips Company - Boulder CO

H05B 3126

31511191

A hot filament ionization gauge is provided with a very small diameter and/or very short collector to limit interception of X-ray flux. Suitable gauge sensitivity is achieved by additionally collecting ions at the collector support, which is shielded from the X-ray flux by a shield. Collection of ions by the shield is avoided by maintaining the shield at grid potential.