Vacuum module and vacuum apparatus and method for regeneration of a volume getter vacuum pump
AssigneeEdwards Vacuum LLC
InventorMarcus Hans Robert Thierley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method for the regeneration of a volume getter pump in a vacuum apparatus with a volume getter pump and an ion getter pump where the operating voltage of the ion getter pump is reduced, the current through the ion getter pump is recorded for determination of the pressure in the vacuum apparatus and then a heating element of the NEG is controlled as a function of the current of the ion getter pump for the purpose of heating the NEG material.
Claims9
A method for the regeneration of a volume getter pump (NEG) in a vacuum apparatus with the NEG and an ion getter pump, where
- an operating voltage of the ion getter pump is reduced to a voltage at which no effective pumping is performed by the ion getter pump but the ion getter pump continues to generate a pressure-dependent current,
- the pressure-dependent current through the ion getter pump is recorded for determination of a pressure in the vacuum apparatus, and
- a heating element of the NEG is controlled as a function of the pressure-dependent current through the ion getter pump for the purpose of heating an NEG material of the NEG while maintaining the operating voltage of the ion getter pump at the voltage at which no effective pumping is performed by the ion getter pump but the ion getter pump continues to generate the pressure-dependent current.
A vacuum apparatus with a volume getter pump (NEG) and an ion getter pump, where the NEG and the ion getter pump are directly connected, where the NEG and the ion getter pump are connected to a control unit, and where the control unit is configured to:
- reduce an operating voltage of the ion getter pump to a voltage at which no effective pumping is performed by the ion getter pump but the ion getter pump continues to generate a pressure-dependent current,
- record the pressure-dependent current through the ion getter pump to determine a pressure in the vacuum apparatus;
- and control a heating element of the NEG as a function of the pressure-dependent current of the ion getter pump for the purpose of heating an NEG material of the NEG while maintaining the operating voltage of the ion getter pump at the voltage at which no effective pumping is performed by the ion getter pump but the ion getter pump continues to generate the pressure-dependent current.
A vacuum apparatus with a volume getter pump (NEG) and an ion getter pump, where the NEG and the ion getter pump are arranged separately from each other in the vacuum apparatus, where the NEG and the ion getter pump are connected to a control unit, and where the control unit is configured to:
- reduce an operating voltage of the ion getter pump to a voltage at which no effective pumping is performed by the ion getter pump but the ion getter pump continues to generate a pressure-dependent current,
- record the pressure-dependent current through the ion getter pump to determine a pressure in the vacuum apparatus;
- and control a heating element of the NEG as a function of the pressure-dependent current of the ion getter pump for the purpose of heating an NEG material of the NEG while maintaining the operating voltage of the ion getter pump at the voltage at which no effective pumping is performed by the ion getter pump but the ion getter pump continues to generate the pressure-dependent current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.