High vacuum pump

Abstract

The pressure range, pumping speed and through-put of a high-vacuum pump can be significantly improved, particularly with respect to the pumping of hydrogen, by making pump components that are exposed to the vacuum from an alloy that is metallurgically stabilized to maintain a body-centered cubic crystal lattice structure throughout the range of temperatures usually experienced by the pump. In a sputter-ion pump, the cathode especially should be made from an alloy stabilized in the body-centered cubic crystal lattice form. A suitable alloy, which is so stabilized in the body-centered cubic crystal lattice form, has a major constituent comprising one or more elements selected from Group IV B of the conventional long form of the Periodic Chart of the Elements, and a minor constituent comprising one or more elements selected from Groups III B, V B, VI B and VII B of the Chart, with the minor constituent constituting at least 10% but not more than 50% by weight of the alloy. The alloy may have an additional constituent comprising one or more elements selected from Group III A or from any other Group of the Chart, provided that this additional constituent does not constitute more than 5% by weight of the alloy. Particular commercially available alloys that are suitable according to this invention include Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al and Ti-11.5Mo-6Zr-4.5Sn.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.