Improved ionization efficiency in MEMS-type ion-sorption micropump

In this paper we demonstrate how to increase ionization efficiency inside a MEMS-type ion-sorption micropump, and therefore have a possibility to obtain very high vacuum inside miniature nanoelectronics devices. Three different approaches were utilized to achieve this goal - electrodes of the micropump were covered with (or made of) nanomaterials having either good field emission properties (carbon nanotubes) or high secondary emission coefficient (magnesium oxide nanopowder and porous silicon). For all of the modified electrodes a significant improvement was observed, in the case of MgO discharge current increased more than 1000 times.