Process gas trend analysis

Paul Boughton

Vacuum processing is an essential element of diverse chemical, metallurgical and electronics-related procedures including vacuum furnacing, chemical vapour deposition, surface etching and evaporative coating, with operating requirements through diverse low-pressure regimes.

The Hiden HMT residual gas analyser (RGA) is conceived to offer a single partial pressure gauge to operate through the full vacuum spectrum from ultra-high vacuum (UHV) through to millitorr to provide process gas trend analysis, vacuum background diagnostics and leak detection.

The integral dual-detector enables monitoring at high pressure by Faraday detector and at lower pressures to UHV by electron multiplier detector, giving full conventional RGA specification with partial pressure detection down to 2x10E-13 mbar and a total dynamic range in excess of 10 decades.

Selection of the Process Mode sets the analyser parameters for high pressure operation with system sensitivity optimised for the specific process pressure. 

Selection of the RGA Mode automatically resets the system for optimum UHV sensitivity, activating the system for electron multiplier operation and enabling the overpressure protection function. Multiple units are operable over internet link, with automatic stop/start process control configurable via the integral TTL lines

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