Pressure sensor using Penning principle

摘要

The pressure sensor operates according to the Penning principle. It has two electrodes (1,9) which are at different potentials during operation. The pressure to be measured is in the space between the electrodes (1,9). The sensor also has at least one permanent magnet (4,5,6,7) whose field in the space between the electrodes leads to ionisation. The current flowing through the electrodes is analysed as a measure of the pressure. The space between the electrodes is no more than 200 micrometers. The electrodes, the permanent magnet and the entire construction are manufactured using thin film technology.