Industrial Thin Film Technologies

Andrei I. Mardare

Institut für Chemische

Technologie Anorganischer Stoffe
Vacuum technologies

 Vacuum chambers and pumps.

flange systems, types of pumps for low and high vacuum

Course Outline
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Vacuum technology
Chambers and pumps
  Vacuum (Latin vacuo): nothingness, empty space, lack of gas
 lack of gas is measured by pressure 

 SI unit: Pa
 widely used in engineering: mbar
 common sense as scientist: atm
Pressure units
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 Vacuum range mbar Pa Particle density Mean free path Kn

Rough vacuum 1000 - 1 105 - 100 1025 - 1022 m-3 l << d << 1
RV

Medium vacuum 1 - 10-3 100 - 0.1 1022 - 1019 m-3 l≈d ≈1

MV

High vacuum 10-3 - 10-7 10-1 - 10-5 1019 - 1015 m-3 l>d >1
HV

Ultra-high vacuum < 10-7 < 10-5 < 1015 m-3 l >> d >> 1
UHV

Extremely-high < 10-11 < 10-9 < 1011 m-3 l >>> d >>> 1
vacuum (XHV)
 vacuum chamber: recipient of dimension d suitable for holding a low pressure for long
periods of time - implosion proofed!
 typical materials: steel (304, 316), glass (only HV)
Vacuum chambers
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 Galileo (1564—1642) attempted to measure the force that a partial vacuum
exerted on a piston
 Torricelli (1608—1647) first to produce a vacuum with an inverted Hg column
(the first vacuum gauge, barometer, altimeter)
 Pascal (1623—1662) put the concept of “horror vacui” to rest by measuring
the force of atmospheric pressure on an evacuated space
 Magdeburg hemispheres (1656)
 late 1800’s - 10-3 mbar
 Geissler, Thomson, Edison, “cathode ray” studies, pumps, gauges
 early 1900’s - 10-6 mbar
 diffusion pump, capacitance manometer, Pirani gauge
 mid 1900’s
 UHV and UHV hardware (all-in-one pumping stands)
 Bayard-Alpert gauge, ion pump
 1970 - 1990
 Commercial turbo pumps, cryopumps and dry pumping (getters)
Brief History
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Vacuum chambers
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  vacuum chambers are interconnected using flanges and valves available in various systems:

 ISO-F: 63 - 630 mm
 ISO-KF (kleinflansch): 10 - 50 mm
 F63, F80, F100, F160(150), F200,
 KF10, KF16, KF25, KF40, KF50 F250, F320, F400, F500, F630

 ISO-K: 63 - 630 mm
 K63, K80, K100, K160(150), K200,
K250, K320, K400, K500, K630

HV vacuum flange systems

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 components:
 blank flanges
 full or half nipples
 flex hoses
 centering rings
 clamps

 various connectors are available for standardized constructions

 sealing material for rings: Neoprene, Silicone, Teflon, Viton, metal (aluminum)
 suitable for multiple use except for metal sealings
 suitable pressure range: RV to HV
 metal sealing must be used for pressures below 10-6 mbar (10-4 Pa)

HV vacuum flange systems

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  due to extremely low pressures in UHV regimes, only metal parts can be used

 CF / Conflat: 16 - 400 mm
 CF16, CF25, CF40, CF63, CF100,
CF150(160), CF200, etc.

 the sealing material for rings is always Cu:

 OFHC-Copper (Oxygen Free High Conductance) or Ag-plated OFHC-Cu
 suitable pressure range: UHV - 10-13 mbar (10-11 Pa)
 typical leak rate < 10-10 mbar l s-1
UHV vacuum flange systems
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 vacuum valves are critical points in a vacuum system since are most prone to leakages

diaphragm valves angle valves in-line valves

gate valves

control valves
(butterfly)

Vacuum valves
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  feedthroughs are necessary for manipulation, access and electrical connection inside vacuum
 mechanical feedthroughs - manipulators, motors, shutters
Manipulators
 electrical feedthroughs
 gas / liquid feedthroughs
Elastomer-sealed Rotary/Linear Magnetically Guided
Feedthrough (HV) Rotary/Linear Feedthrough (UHV)

Electrical feedthroughs Magnetic fluid feedthrough Gas / liquid feedthroughs

CF shutter

Vacuum feedthroughs
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 a proper selection of vacuum pumps is critical for vacuum applications

 gas transfer pumps

 positive displacement pumps - this pumps suck! 
 oil sealed pumps: rotary vanes, rotary piston
 trapped volumes of gas are isolated using oil
 dry pumps: roots, scroll, piston/diaphragm
 trapped volumes of gas are isolated using close clearances
between moving parts or O-rings - oil free pumps
 kinetic (momentum transfer) vacuum pumps
 diffusion pumps, turbomolecular pumps

 gas binding pumps - molecules are removed through adsorption or condensation on surfaces
inside the pump
 cryo-pumps, getter pumps, sublimation pumps, sputtering pumps

Vacuum pumps
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 a) rotary vanes pump
b) rotary piston pump
 a volume of gas is trapped
inside the pump due to
mechanical movement of a rotor
 from inlet, the gas is
compressed and forced out
through outlet
 the rotor is partially submerged
in an oil bath for a better sealing
or isolation between zones with
various partial pressures
 pumping speeds: 1 - 1500 m3 h-1
 working temperature: 20 - 90°C
 ultimate pressure:
 single stage: 1 Pa (10-2 mbar)
 dual stage: 10-2 Pa (10-4 mbar)
Oil sealed pumps
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 gas ballast (air, N2) is used for reducing the vapor contamination of the oil
 the ballast is introduced during the compression stage for increasing the proportion of
noncondensable gas inside the pump
 liquefaction of contaminants inside oil (e.g. water, alcohol, ether, acetone, etc.) is avoided
 as a side effect, the pump temperature increases faster due to extra work making even
more difficult the vapor condensation

Oil sealed pumps

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 pump oil selection must be done accordingly with the application and its special requirements
 for commonly used oils (mineral) the oil viscosity specified by the pump manufacturer must
always be respected - too low viscosity leads to leakage and noise, too high viscosity leads to
difficulty of starting at room temperature and occasionally seizures

 oil types:
 Hydrocarbon oils - highly refined mineral oil - the most usual oil used - may contain
additives for minimizing the corrosion effects of vapors being pumped
 Synthetic organic-type oils - used for heavy-duty applications at high temperatures - have
improved oxidation resistance
 Fluorinated (perfluoropolyether) fluids - higher grade oils used for an increased operation
time between pump maintenance periods. Advantages:
 chemical inertness - ideal for pumping aggressive materials (semiconductor industry)
 noninflamable - no fire risk
 high thermal resistance - no residual “tar” is formed by overheating
 oxygen-compatible - allows safe pumping of oxygen

Oil sealed pumps

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  
 momentum p  mv m1 m2
  
 elastic collision - momentum conservation p  0  m1v1  m2 v2
' 
 massive target m1<<m2  v1  v1

 momentum transfer pumps
v
 momentum is transferred to gas molecules so that
a continuous flow is ensured between inlet and outlet 
moving surface
v
 positive displacement pumps are trapping volumes of
gas between inlet and outlet - fundamental difference

 momentum can be transported by:

 high speed vapor streams - diffusion pumps
 continuously moving parts - turbomolecular pumps

Kinetic vacuum pumps

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 concept:

 vapors from liquids (e.g. Hg or petroleum) are produced

in a boiler (D)
 when inserted in an evacuated chamber through a small
opening (nozzle), the vapors will expand acquiring a high
forward mass velocity - vapor jet (P)
 expansion of the vapor jet is limited by the gas present in
the pump - at low pressures a diffuse layer of vapor mixed
with penetrating gas molecules is formed
 gas diffused into vapors is moved in the jet direction
 separation of vapors and gas is done through
condensation on cold surfaces (walls of the pump) (F)
 gas molecules are trapped by vapor barriers
 special design of the nozzles (e.g. umbrella-type)
 diffusion pumps require backing (forevacuum) pumps (N)

Langmuir’s diffusion pump

Diffusion vacuum pumps
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 multistage pumps - more efficient in trapping gas under
several jet barriers
 the narrowing neck in front of the vapor jet - diffuser (Venturi
tube)
 diffusion not necessarily happen - jet speed is high
enough so that the barrier is very efficient
 diffusion pumps - historical name from Venturi

 small molecules can diffuse back - not efficient for H, He, etc

 used for achieving HV in “dirty” processing chambers

 special diffusion oil chemically inert (resistant to oxidation)
 operating pressure: 10-1 - 10-6 mbar
 pumping speeds: up to 1000 l s-1 (3600 m3 h-1)

 Q gas throughput (load)

Q  SP  S pumping speed
 P desired pressure

Diffusion vacuum pumps Edward’s diffusion pump

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