New Type Thin Film Vacuum Sensor Using the Short Circuit Seebeck-Current Detection Type Thermocouple

We have proposed the thin film vacuum sensor that has a cantilever structure with new temperature difference sensors of the short circuit Seebeck-current detection type thermocouple in order to get higher sensitivity in the higher vacuum range. Temperature difference, which should be zero under the higher vacuum, between microheater and thermally isolated heading area from the microheater is measured under the vacuum pressure. Even a little temperature difference in our new sensor can be measured in very lower vacuum pressure range by the signal amplification than that of the traditional Pirani vacuum sensor. In our experiments, the short circuit Seebeck-current detection type thermocouple is used to measure the very small temperature difference. Measurement of very wide vacuum pressure range between 10(5) - 10(-2) Pa is achieved by the prototype sensor.