Auxiliary vacuum pumps combination system

Abstract

The present invention concerns an auxiliary pumping system (1000) for evacuating an equipment chamber (1), comprising a primary pump (12), an intermediate vacuum chamber (10) connected to the primary pump (12) through a vacuum conduit (14), and a high-pressure Non-Evaporable Getter (NEG) pump contained in the intermediate vacuum chamber (10), wherein the vacuum conduit (14) has a length comprised between 5 and 200 cm and the ratio between the volume of the high-pressure NE pump and the volume of the intermediate vacuum chamber (10) is comprised between 0.022 and 0.540.

1 . An auxiliary pumping system comprising:
 a primary pump,   an intermediate vacuum chamber with at least three vacuum-tight openings, connected to said primary pump through a first vacuum-tight opening, and   a high-pressure NEG pump contained in said intermediate vacuum chamber and mounted on it through a second vacuum-tight opening, wherein the primary pump operates from atmospheric pressure to a first level of vacuum and said high-pressure NEG pump operates from said first level of vacuum to a second level of vacuum,   
       wherein:
 the primary pump is connected through a vacuum conduit to the intermediate vacuum chamber, wherein the overall length of said vacuum conduit is comprised between 5 and 200 cm, and 
 the ratio between the volume of the high-pressure NEG pump and the volume of the intermediate vacuum chamber is comprised between 0.022 and 0.540. 
 
     
     
         2 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein a valve block is interposed between the primary pump, and the intermediate vacuum chamber, preferably when the overall length of the vacuum conduit is greater than 19 cm. 
     
     
         3 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary pump is a dry pump. 
     
     
         4 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure NEG pump comprises a plurality of disks or pills sintered and/or compressed or laminated powder onto a metallic substrate made of Zr-based alloys or Ti-based alloys. 
     
     
         5 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate chamber has more than three vacuum-tight openings and one or more of them are suitable to mount a HV pump, preferably chosen between a Sputter Ion Pump, a NEG pump or their combinations. 
     
     
         6 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one pressure sensor. 
     
     
         7 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first level of vacuum has a pressure range between 10 Pa and 0.1 Pa and said second level of vacuum has a pressure range between 0.01 Pa and 0.001 Pa. 
     
     
         8 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure NEG pump includes a replaceable cartridge of getter material. 
     
     
         9 . An auxiliary pumping system according to  claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure NEG pump includes a replaceable heater.