Theo Bijvoets - Rivac Technology B.V. The Netherlands

To most people vacuum is an unknown phenomenon. In fact vacuum means for them “no air”, however this is impossible! Vacuum is generally used as a tool in many applications, ranging from conservation of food and cleaning the floor in the living room. The fact that vacuum is also used in research and production of nanotechnology, is only known to specialists working in this field.
This presentation is meant to give some understanding about vacuum, pumps, measuring equipment, what to do and what not to do, to get the required vacuum level. Direct implication and applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology will be briefly commented through the seminar.

Mains topics will be:

  • Introduction and definitions (pressure, vacuum, speed of molecules, mean free path, etc)
  • Laws of Boyle and Gay-Lussac
  • Dalton’s law
  • Conductance, pumping speed in turbulent, laminar and molecular flow
  • Vacuum pumps types
  • Vacuum measurement equipments
  • Reasons for having bad vacuum, leak detection vs outgas determination