Abstract: A gas analyzer for a vacuum chamber includes processing electronics configured to receive mass spectral data, receive input of total pressure in the vacuum chamber, receive external input from at least one sensor, and employ the mass spectral data, the total pressure in the vacuum chamber, and the external input from the at least one sensor to calculate a vacuum quality index based on at least one criteria of quality.

Abstract: An ionization gauge that measures pressure has an electron source that emits electrons, and an anode that defines an ionization space. The gauge also includes a collector electrode to collect ions formed by an impact between the electrons and a gas and to measure pressure based on the collected ions. The electron source is dynamically varied in emission current between a plurality of emission levels dependent on pressure and a second parameter other than pressure. The ionization gauge may also vary various operating parameters of the gauge components according to parameters stored in a non-volatile memory and selected by a user.

Abstract: An ion trap includes an electrode structure, including a first and a second opposed mirror electrodes and a central lens therebetween, that produces an electrostatic potential in which ions are confined to trajectories at natural oscillation frequencies, the confining potential being anharmonic. The ion trap also includes an AC excitation source having an excitation frequency f that excites confined ions at a frequency of about twice the natural oscillation frequency of the ions, the AC excitation frequency source preferably being connected to the central lens. In one embodiment, the ion trap includes a scan control that mass selectively reduces a frequency difference between the AC excitation frequency and about twice the natural oscillation frequency of the ions.

Abstract: A gas analyzer for a vacuum chamber includes processing electronics configured to receive mass spectral data, receive input of total pressure in the vacuum chamber, receive external input from at least one sensor, and employ the mass spectral data, the total pressure in the vacuum chamber, and the external input from the at least one sensor to calculate a vacuum quality index based on at least one criteria of quality.

Abstract: An ion trap includes an electrode structure, including a first and a second opposed mirror electrodes and a central lens therebetween, that produces an electrostatic potential in which ions are confined to trajectories at natural oscillation frequencies, the confining potential being anharmonic. The ion trap also includes an AC excitation source having an excitation frequency f that excites confined ions at a frequency of about twice the natural oscillation frequency of the ions, the AC excitation frequency source preferably being connected to the central lens. In one embodiment, the ion trap includes a scan control that mass selectively reduces a frequency difference between the AC excitation frequency and about twice the natural oscillation frequency of the ions.

Abstract: An ionization gauge that measures pressure has an electron source that emits electrons, and an anode that defines an ionization space. The gauge also includes a collector electrode to collect ions formed by an impact between the electrons and a gas and to measure pressure based on the collected ions. The electron source is dynamically varied in emission current between a plurality of emission levels dependent on pressure and a second parameter other than pressure. The ionization gauge may also vary various operating parameters of the gauge components according to parameters stored in a non-volatile memory and selected by a user.

Abstract: An apparatus for tracking items in a factory is disclosed. The apparatus is partially well suited for manufacturing environments wherein there are a plurality of items to be kept together in groups. The invention is particularly useful in semiconductor processing facilities wherein batches of semiconductor wafers to be processed are placed in wafer carriers which are, in turn, placed in work-in-progress boxes. Applying identification tags to one item that can be read and processed by a microterminal attached to the other item provides an effective way to prevent improper grouping of the items which can lead to misprocessing or handling of the batches of wafers.