Focus on vacuum and cryogenics

Vacuum Instrument Corp has introduced the MS-60 Dry portable helium mass spectrometer leak detector that incorporates a standard 16-cfm dry foreline/roughing pump. Compared with the company’s earlier MS-60 system with 7- and 10.6-cfm roughing pumps, the new model allows faster cycle times and enables clean room applications. The MS series uses a dual magnetic-sector helium mass spectrometer for error-free operation and offers three modes of advanced auto-zero capability for faster, more accurate testing. The leak detector’s sensitivity is 5 × 10^-12 atm-cc/s and features two tungsten filaments for longer life; password security to protect against tampering and changing of set points; and gross, rough, and fine modes of vacuum operation. The MS series also provides internal or external calibration flexibility. Vacuum Instrument Corporation, VIC Leak Detection, 2099 Ninth Avenue, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, http://www.vicleakdetection.com

MKS Instruments has announced the series 970 cold cathode transducers, a set of compact, reliable vacuum gauges for pressures ranging from atmospheric to 10^-8 torr. The devices may be mounted in any orientation and include both analog and digital communication; they can be used with the PDR900 controller. The model 971 UniMag transducer is based on cold cathode inverted-magnetron operation and provides a measurement range from 1 × 10^-8 to 5 × 10^-3 torr. The 972 DualMag combines the inverted magnetron and MicroPirani thermal conductivity MEMS sensor technologies to cover the 1 × 10^-8 torr to atmospheric pressure range. The MicroPirani offers a measuring range of 1-2 decades lower than a traditional Pirani gauge. The 974 Quad-Mag can measure from 1 × 10^-8 to 1500 torr absolute and a ±760 torr differential by incorporating a piezo-differential sensor in the MicroPirani and inverted magnetron sensors. MKS Instruments, 2 Tech Drive, Suite 201, Andover, MA 01810, http://www.vicleakdetection.com

Janis Research is offering a new series of micromanipulated probe systems with a variable horizontal magnetic field up to 0.6 T. The typical field homogeneity is 2.0% over a 25-mm diameter.

The basic cryostat provides outstanding sample positional stability; the typical vibration level is ±25 nm with a long-term drift of about 2 nm/min. The probe station operates from 3 to 475 K, with an option to 650 K, and can be used with either liquid helium or liquid nitrogen. The system can be equipped with up to four low-frequency or microwave probes or optical fiber probe arms and is suitable for the study of magneto-optical and magnetoelectric properties of samples. Several types of probe tips can be supplied with three-axis precise manipulation for each probe. The system is supported on a floating vibration isolation table and comes with a cryogenic Hall probe and readout to measure the field at the sample. Janis Research Company Inc, 2 Jewel Drive, P. O. Box 696, Wilmington, MA 01887-0696, http://www.janis.com

Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum’s Turbolab 80 is a new tabletop high vacuum system that operates at ultimate pressures down to 10^-8 mbar. It combines in one compact package a wide-range turbo-molecular pump with a dual-stage, oil-free Divac 0.8 VT diaphragm backing pump. The turbopump features an integrated frequency converter and power supply, air cooling, and splinter guard. The backing pump achieves a pumping speed of 0.7 m³/h. Ceramic ball bearings ensure reliable, long-term operation; pumping speed for nitrogen is 65 1/s. The basic version of the system offers manual control and optional pressure measurement and display. The full-featured version adds an automatic operation mode; indication and storage of operating parameters, including optional fore vacuum measurements; graphical display of pressure-time response; and multilanguage operation. Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum USA Inc, 5700 Mellon Road, Export, PA 15632, http://www.oerlikon.com/leyboldvacuum

Cryogenic Ltd has developed an 18-T version of its cryogen-free magnet system with full protection against accidental quench. To cool down the system, its cryocooler is switched on, and the system will then reach its base operating temperature in less than 24 hours; no liquid cryogens are necessary. The range of the integrated variable temperature insert (iVTI) is from 325 to 1.6 K; lower temperatures can be reached with a cryogen-free helium-3 or dilution refrigerator module. Samples are top loaded into the iVTI through an automated airlock and gate valve interface. Interchangeable measurement modules are available for vibrating sample magnetometry, resistivity and Hall effect, and AC calorimetry and thermal transport. The automated system uses a LabVIEW software routine and can be kept on standby for weeks or months so that measurements can be made on short notice. Cryogenic USA, 816 North Vail Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, http://www.cryogenicusa.com

Edwards has released the iXL 500, the first member of the iXL family of dry vacuum pumps. It is primarily designed for load-lock applications in solar cell and flat panel manufacturing in which high gas throughputs and fast pump down times are crucial. The pump’s low inertia booster shortens load-lock evacuation times with faster, more efficient pumping at higher inlet pressures, and the system eliminates the shaft seal by enclosing the motor in the vacuum. The iXL 500 offers a pumping speed of 1800 m³/h but consumes a power of only 7 kW. For multiple pumps on a single chamber, the company offers a preconfigured system with integrated power distribution and control to make hook-up simple and fast. The iXL 500 features intelligent monitoring and is compatible with FabWorks, a complete condition monitoring and analysis system for vacuum and exhaust management equipment. Edwards Limited, Three Highwood Drive, Suite 3-101E, Highwood Office Park, Tewksbury, MA 01876, http://www.cryogenicusa.com

Oxford Instruments is delivering an integrated Cryofree dilution refrigerator with a 12-T superconducting magnet. The system uses a single pulse tube refrigerator, so owners will not need to purchase liquid helium, which is increasing in cost and decreasing in supply. On the same instrument, the system can control temperatures from below 10 mK to 30 K and magnetic fields up to 12 T without any external manipulation of the sample environment. That is important for applications such as neutron scattering, for which sample alignment is crucial. For many materials studies, including spin ordering and antiferromagnetism, tracking phenomena over wide temperature ranges in a high magnetic field is a key to understanding their intrinsic behavior. The magnet cooling stage remains stable below 3.5 K throughout the controlled temperature regime, with sample stage temperature maintained at less than ±1% of set point. Oxford Instruments plc, Tubney Woods, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QX, UK, http://www.oxinst.com

Pfeiffer Vacuum has introduced the OmniStar and ThermoStar gas analysis systems. The two instruments incorporate a mass spectrometry method for precise qualitative and quantitative process analysis of up to 128 different gases and are suitable for reliably identifying unknown gases. Even low detection limits can be swiftly determined for condensable gases. Both OmniStar and ThermoStar have a heated and temperature-regulated gas inlet system, the company’s PrismaPlus mass spectrometer, a dry diaphragm vacuum pump, and the HiPace turbopump; they feature a capillary inlet of either stainless steel (OmniStar) or quartz (ThermoStar), which can be heated up to 350 °C with a heating hose. They cover a range of 1-100 atomic mass units, 1-200 amu, and 1-300 amu. A pressure-regulated gas inlet for changing pressures is optional. Pfeiffer Vacuum Inc, 24 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, NH 03063, http://www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com

ColdEdge Technologies’ 1000-K thermal interface assembly enables wide temperature-range testing—from 4 to 1000 K—without having to disturb a sample by moving it to another heating source. One interface component is in thermal contact with the cold tip of a cryocooler, and a second is in contact with the user’s sample or interface; in addition, a thermal link connects the two. By properly choosing the component’s materials based on their properties of thermal conductivity and coefficient of expansion/contraction, it is possible for the interface assembly to allow the sample to reach 4 K and also be heated to 1000 K. The interface can be used with many different closed-and open-cycle cryocoolers. Various standard-mount configurations and high-temperature instrumentation and controllers are available. ColdEdge Technologies, 905 Harrison Street, Suite 134, Allentown, PA 18103, http://www.coldedgetech.com

Advanced Research Systems has announced a cryogenic probe station that is available with any of the company’s closed-cycle or liquid flow cryostats. The system can have up to eight probe arms or any combination of probe arms and accessory ports to allow additional equipment. The probe arms have precision actuators with 1-µm sensitivity and can measure over a 2-inch active area. Single-tip triaxial probes are standard, but custom tips, high-frequency multitip probes, and fiber-optic cables also are available. The station is equipped with a four-stage vibration-damping system that enables it to achieve vibration levels of less than 1 µm; an ultralow vibration upgrade can reduce that to the order of 3-5 nm. Another option is a 7:1 zoom microscope with a 1-µm resolution CCD camera. The vacuum enclosure features all welded stainless steel construction for high vacuum performance. Advanced Research Systems Inc, 7476 Industrial Park Way, Macungie, PA 18062, http://www.arscryo.com

The companies Microcosm and Scorpius Space Launch have combined to create a series of all-composite, cryogenic pressure vessels called Pressuremaxx Sapphire 77. The tanks are compatible with liquid nitrogen, oxygen, methane, and petroleum- or alcohol-based fuels. They incorporate a cryogenic resin system and carbon fiber boss integration and are available in 10-, 25-, 42-, and 53-inch diameters. The design, with a single, near-zero thermal coefficient of expansion, produces a uniform material throughout the vessel. Application areas may include launch vehicles, strap-on boosters, and lunar and planetary rovers. Also possible is a new class of ultralight spacecraft in which the tank becomes its central structure; the usual independent load-bearing structure is eliminated. Scorpius Space Launch Company, 4940 West 147th Street, Hawthorne, CA 90250-6708, http://www.scorpius.com

Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments is offering the Sahara III, a new silicon drift x-ray detector with exceptionally fast cooldown periods; for the 10-mm²-detector module, the cooldown time is less than five minutes, a time reduction that improves throughput and data collection, compared with SDDs with one-hour cooldowns. In a shared vacuum that requires thermal cycling or for users who are frequently changing samples, cooldown times are critical to efficient systems operations. The Sahara III features an active detector area ranging from 10 to 100 mm² and standard beryllium or low-energy polymer windows. The detector, with its Peltier-cooled technology, complements the company’s other x-ray detectors, which include liquid-nitrogen-cooled silicon (lithium), IGX, and multielement detector arrays. Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments, 303C College Road East, Princeton, NJ 08540, http://www.pgt.com

The Microlab Nimbus vacuum system from Hamilton Robotics is a platform for automated vacuum-based separations. The NVS integrates liquid-handling workstation capabilities with a vacuum manifold and a pump-and-collection device for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of analytes from complex biological mixtures. The analyte binds to a filter matrix embedded in a 96-well extraction plate. After a series of wash steps, a reagent is added to remove the analyte from the matrix. A final vacuum step allows the transfer of the now purified analyte into a 96-well collection plate. Vacuum-based SPE offers many advantages compared with syringe-based filter techniques, including higher recovery and reproducibility. The NVS is ideal for drug discovery applications such as compound isolation and metabolite testing. Hamilton Robotics Inc, P. O. Box 10030, Reno, NV 89520-0012, http://www.hamiltonrobotics.com

BioCision has developed the CoolCell, a device that achieves controlled cell freezing of biomedical samples at −1 °C/min without the use of alcohol. It is the latest release in the company’s new line of portable, controlled-rate freezing products. The 1-pound package holds 12 screw-cap cryotubes of 2-ml capacity. CoolCell’s solid-state core and insulated design precisely control heat removal during freezing to ensure repeatable, constant rate cooling down to cryogenic temperatures. Alcohol-based freezers that typically use 100% isopropanol must start at ambient temperature, and after one freezing cycle, they take a long time to warm back up; the CoolCell is ready to use again just minutes after a freeze cycle. BioCision LLC, 775 East Blithedale Avenue, Suite 203, Mill Valley, CA 94941, http://www.biocision.com

The Kurt J. Lesker Co has published the ninth edition of its Global Vacuum Product Guide. With more than 1000 color pages, the volume includes photos, drawings, and specifications for more than 14 000 products and services. Detailed technical notes and tables make the catalog valuable to users of vacuum equipment. Kurt J. Lesker Company, P. O. Box 10, 1925 Route 51, Clairton, PA 15025-3681, http://www.lesker.com

Vacuum Valves 2012, VAT’s new catalog, presents the company’s complete line of vacuum valves, pressure control systems, and accessories for applications ranging from rough vacuum to extreme UHV. The hardbound book, which includes many drawings, is an excellent reference for technical information. VAT Inc, 500 West Cummings Park, Suites 5450-5650, Woburn, MA 01801, http://www.vatvalve.com