ALPHA-PARTICLE GAS-PRESSURE SENSOR

An approximate model was developed to establish design curves for the saturation region and a more complete model developed to characterize the current-voltage curves for an alpha-particle pressure sensor. A si mple two-parameter current-voltage expression was developed to describ e the dependence of the ion current on pressure. The parameters are th e saturation-current pressure coefficient and mu/D, the ion mobility/d iffusion coefficient. The sensor is useful in the pressure range betwe en 0.1 and 1000 mb using a 1-mu Ci Am-241 source. Experimental results , taken between 1 and up to 200 mb, show the sensor operates with an a node voltage of 5 V and a sensitivity of 20 fA/mb in nitrogen. (C) 199 6 American Vacuum Society.