VACUUM TECHNOLOGY AND ITS REQUIREMENT:-

What, strictly speaking, is vacuum? It is a space completely free of matter. Such a

condition neither exists naturally on earth (and not even in outer space), nor is it
achievable by technical means. Absolute vacuum does not exist. This was
postulated even in the middle ages when it was stated that nature abhors vacuum
(Latin: horror vacui). Therefore, an atmosphere with a pressure below ambient
strictly speaking is a partial vacuum, although we may simply call it vacuum.
Vacuum technology is the term used for all processes that occur at a pressure
less than the atmospheric pressure (1 atm). Vacuum technology concerns the
means to predict, effect, and control sub-atmospheric environments, i.e. vacuum.
Increasingly, each vacuum environment must be not only safe and cost-, energy-,
and materials-effective, but also tailored to serve use profitably.
According to American Vacuum Society (1958)
Any given space filled with gas at pressures below atmosphere (or) Molecular
density < 2.5 x 10 19 mol/cm3 is called Vacuum
Vacuum technology is required for the following reasons:
The first one is to provide the atoms with a free path in a line-of-sight
process, in which they are traveling directly from a source to a substrate to
be coated or etched. During the travel, the atoms are subject to collisions
with gas molecules present in the process chamber. If the number of
collisions with these gas molecules is too large, the atoms lose a substantial
amount of their energy. They then either would barely reach the target, with
no energy left for travelling to an appropriate position in a crystal structure
(in case of a deposition ) or would be incapable of causing a sufficient

momentum transfer at the bombarded surface (in case of physical etching

process), respectively.
The second reason is minimizing the impingement of air or other gas
molecules at the target surface, causing contamination (e.g., in clean-surface
studies and preparation of pure, thin films )
The third one is to remove the constituents of the atmosphere that could
cause a physical or chemical reaction during the process (e.g., vacuum
melting of reactive metals such as titanium)
The fourth reason is to disturb an equilibrium condition that exists at normal
room conditions such as the removal of occluded or dissolved gas or volatile
liquid from the bulk of material (e.g., degassing of oils, freeze-drying) or
desorption of gas from surfaces (e.g., the cleanup of microwave tubes and
linear accelerators during manufacture)

UNITS OF VACUUM:Vacuum is commonly measured using units of pressure. Pressure unit systems are
divided into two categories: Coherent Systems and Other Systems. Coherent
Systems of Units are based on the definition of pressure (P) as the force (F) exerted
on a chamber wall per unit area (A). P = F/A. The International System of Units,
or SI units, is commonly used for pressure measurement. Again, the SI unit for
pressure (force per unit area) is the Pascal. 1 Pa = 1 N /m2.
Now, the Pascal as a unit of pressure is not always the most convenient because
vacuum systems are often operating in a range of pressures where we would need
to collect data using large numbers. For example, near atmospheric pressure, we
would measure approximately 100,000 Pa. So a more convenient unit, the bar, has

been derived. (1 bar = 100,000 Pa). Moving lower in pressure, it is very helpful to
then use the mbar (1 mbar = 0.001 bar)
Another system of pressure units is based on the Torricelli experiment (shown in
the diagram). In this experiment, the pressure exerted on the mercury can be shown
to be P = hdg, where h is the height of the mercury column, d is the density, and g
is the acceleration due to gravity. By measuring the mercury column height, the
user can determine the pressure. The Torr unit (named for the Italian scientist
Torricelli) has been defined to be 1 millimeter of mercury (1 Torr = 1 mmHg). This
unit is very common, especially in the United States. It is also common to use the
mTorr (1 mTorr = 0.001 Torr). Many years ago, pressure was sometimes described
in terms of microns, which simply meant a mercury column height of one
micron (1x106 m). Note that the micron and the mTorr are the same.
Conversation table for units of vacuum
Pa

mbar

torr

mtorr(micron

Atm

)
1 Pa
1 mbar
1 torr
1mtorr(micron

1
100
133.3
0.1333

0.01
1
1.333
0.00133

0.0075
0.75
1
0.001

7.50
750.06
1000
1

~10-5
~10-3
~10-3
~10-6

)
1 Atm

101,325

1013.25

760

760,000

MEASUREMENT OF VACUUM:Measuring vacuum is same as measuring the pressure of the container. Pressure
can be measured by measuring the force exerted. Several types of gauges measure
vacuum level. A Bourdon tube-type gauge is compact and the most widely used
device for monitoring vacuum system operation and performance. Measurement is
based on the deformation of a curved elastic Bourdon tube when vacuum is applied
to the gauge's port. With the proper linkage, compound Bourdon tube gauges
indicate both vacuum and positive pressure.
An electronic counterpart to the vacuum gauge is the transducer. Vacuum or
pressure deflects an elastic metal diaphragm. This deflection varies electrical
characteristics of interconnected circuitry to produce an electronic signal that
represents the vacuum level.
A U-tube manometer indicates the difference between two pressures. In its simplest
form, a manometer is a transparent U-tube half-filled with mercury. With both ends
of the tube exposed to atmospheric pressure, the mercury level in each leg is the
same. Applying a vacuum to one leg causes the mercury to rise in that leg and to
fall in the other. The difference in height between the two levels indicates the
vacuum level.
Penning gauge and pirani gauge are used to measure vacuum pressure. Penning
gauge can measure high vacuum while pirani gauge is used to measure low
vacuum. It can also be measured by using the thermal conductivity of the enclosed
gas

CLASSIFICATION OF VACUUM RANGE:The vacuum ranges are as follows:

Atmospheric pressure : 1.013 x 105 Pa

Low vacuum : 1 x 105 to 3 x 103 Pa
Medium vacuum : 3 x 103 to 1 x 10-1 Pa
High vacuum: 1 x 10-1 to 1 x 10-7 Pa
Ultra high vacuum : 1 x 10-7 to 1 x 10-10 Pa
Extremely high vacuum: < 1x 10-10 Pa
Outer space: 1 x 10-4 to 3 x 10-15 Pa
Perfect vacuum: 0 Pa

WAYS OF GETTING VACUUM CONTAINER:The vacuum pump system evacuates the vacuum chamber. In case that a high
vacuum or an ultrahigh vacuum has to be achieved the pump system first operates
in the viscous regime, then in the transition regime, and at the end in the molecular
regime. There is no single vacuum pump that is capable of operating in all regimes
alike. Therefore, a system working in the high or ultrahigh vacuum range typically
consists of two pumps, a roughing pump and a high vacuum pump.
ROUGHING PUMP - A roughing pump is any pump that removes the bulk of the
gas molecules in the rough vacuum range and its viscous flow regime, reaching
fore-vacuum conditions sufficient for a high vacuum pump starting its operation
HIGH VACUUM PUMP - A high vacuum pump is any pump capable of reaching
very low pressure (<101 Pa / 7.5 104 Torrhigh vacuum or better) by
pumping in the transition and molecular range.
Different types of Pump:-

 Oil-sealed rotary pump: capacity- t0 1000 cubic feet per minute ,

operating from atmospheric pressure down to as low as 2 x 10 -2 torr for
single-stage pumps and less than 5 x 10-3 torr for two-stage pumps
Mechanical Booster: Capacities are available from 100 to 70,000 cubic feet
per minute, operating usually in the pressure range from 10 to 10-3torr.
Molecular Pump: Capacities are available up to 20,000 cubic feet per
minute, with an operating range of 10-1 to 10-10 torr, when backed by an oilsealed rotary pump
Vapor diffusion pump : Pumping speeds are available up to 190,000 cubic
feet per minute with an operating pressure range of 10-2 to less than 10-9 torr
Sputter ion pump : Capacities are available up to 14,000 cubic feet per
minute, with an operating pressure range of 10-11 torr

APPLICATIONS OF VACUUM TECHNOLOGY:-

The advent of vacuum technology in the form of different types of pumps for
industrial usage has emerged out with enormous changes in applications,
processing methods, etc.
Chemical Industries and vacuum Technology :
When it comes to chemical industries this method is found to be applicable
for performing ample processes including crystallization, evaporation,
distillation, drying, solvent recovery, vinyl chloride monomer, transfer of
materials, coating, chlorine compression, etc. This method remains a perfect
solution for recovery process involved in the above applications.
Electrical power industry :
Electric power functions including condenser exhausting, geothermal gas
removal, fuel gas desulphurization, condenser initial evacuation, etc. This
principle is applied in terms of gas and air removal, creating high space
volumes, etc.
Medical equipments :
One of the important usages of these pumps in medical industry is expelling
air and medical industry makes use of this principle for drying in
sterilization. Some of the medical devices which benefit using this
technology are respiratory equipments, air beds, sterilizers, etc.
Metals, Steel Degassing :Metals are transformed into the purest form through removal of gases
present in them. Degassing is the process that works using the above
technology and extracted from the metal to maintain its purity.
Oil and gas and petroleum refining :Vapor management is one of the significant processes in oil and gas
industries for which this system is applied for vapor recovery. As far as
petroleum refining is concerned, these pumps are used for compression of
vent gases and gas boosting.
Plastic and textiles :-

Plastic manufacturing companies find this technology to be useful in

managing extruder degassing in terms of extracting gases and vapor
components. It is also used for drying moisture and to extract work water
between the mold and work material
Different applications in Printing :Printing applications like screen printing, powdering on printing presses,
book binding machines, etc require the above technology in terms of
blowers, generating space for individual process and many more cost
effective applications.
Industrial vacuum applications range from mechanical handling (such as the
manipulation of heavy and light items by suction pads) to the deposition of
integrated electronic circuits on silicon chips
At lower pressures down to about 10-4 torr, many metallurgical processes
such as melting, casting, sintering, heat treatment, and brazing can derive
benefit. Chemical processes such as vacuum distillation and freeze-drying
also need this range of vacuum. Freeze-drying is used extensively in the
pharmaceutical industry to prepare vaccines and antibiotics and to store skin
and blood plasma. The food industry freeze-dries coffee mainly, although
most foods can be stored without refrigeration after freeze-drying, and the
technique is receiving widespread acceptance.
The pressure range down to about 10-6 torr is used for cryogenic (lowtemperature) and electrical insulation. It is used in the production of lamps;
television picture tubes, X-ray tubes; decorative, optical, and electrical thinfilm coatings; and mass spectrometer leak detectors
In thin-film coating, a metal or compound is evaporated under high vacuum
from a source onto a base material or substrate.