Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for process monitoring are presented. For instance, the device includes a crystal and a reactance sensor. The crystal is connected to a frequency measurement circuit. The reactance sensor is connected to the crystal. The reactance sensor is configured to detect a change in a process parameter. The frequency measurement circuit detects the change in the process parameter as a change in the frequency of the crystal. In another example, the system includes a reactance sensor and a measurement device. The reactance sensor is disposed in a process chamber, and has a variable reactance responsive to a change in a process parameter. The measurement device is disposed outside the process chamber and has a frequency measurement circuit. The frequency measurement circuit includes a crystal and is connected to the reactance sensor, and detects the change in the process parameter as a change in the frequency of the crystal.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ionization vacuum measuring cell (10) comprising an evacuable housing (12) with a measurement connection for a vacuum to be measured at an end portion; a measurement chamber (14) in the housing (12), said measurement chamber being fluidically connected to the measurement connection, wherein the measurement chamber (14) is designed as a replaceable component; and a first and a second electrode (16, 18) in the measurement chamber (14), said electrodes being substantially coaxial to an axis and being arranged at a distance from each other. The measuring cell further comprises an electrically insulating and vacuum-tight feedthrough (20) for an electric supply to the second electrode (18) and a magnetization assembly which is designed to generate a magnetic field in the ionization chamber. According to the invention, the measurement chamber (14), in particular at least one of the electrodes (16, 18), comprises a magnetic material.

Abstract: A gas analyzer and a method for performing mass spectrometry analysis includes a membrane configured to receive an input flow of carrier gas. The membrane defines a variable thickness region between first and second positions along an input face of the membrane and separates the analyte sample into an output flow of analyte molecules. A mass spectrometer is disposed downstream of the membrane and includes an input orifice for receiving the output flow. The mass spectrometer is configured to perform a response profile analysis of the analyte molecules in the sample analyte.

Abstract: The invention relates to a film chamber 10 which has a film chamber wall for testing the sealing tightness of a gas-filled test specimen 38, which film chamber wall defines a chamber volume 32 for holding the test specimen 38 and has a first vacuum connection 28 for evacuating the chamber volume 32 by means of a first vacuum pump 30 connected to the first vacuum connection 28, wherein at least a portion of the film chamber wall has a flexible film 12, 14, characterized in that the film 12, 14 has two layers 20, 22 arranged adjacent to each other which surround an evacuable film interspace 26.

Abstract: Method for determining a pressure in a pressure cell, the method consisting in determining a measuring signal (x) that is at least proportional to a measured pressure in the pressure cell, generating an output signal (y) from the measuring signal (x) using a filter unit (10) comprising a transfer function by at least reducing, preferably eliminating, a noise signal contained in the measuring signal determining a change over time of the measuring signal (x), and setting the transfer function as a function of the change over time of the measuring signal (x). A measuring cell arrangement is also specified.

Abstract: A sniffer leak detector is provided herein, including a sniffer probe and a vacuum pump which are connected to each other by a gas flow path, a gas analyzer arranged along the gas flow path and analyzes the gas taken in by the vacuum pump through the sniffer probe. The sniffer leak detector further includes a distance sensor that detects the distance between the sniffer probe and the test object, and a control is linked to the distance sensor. The control is designed to vary the carrier gas flow transported along the gas flow path, depending on the measured distance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mass-spectrometry leak detector including a multi-stage turbomolecular pump, a mass spectrometer connected to the suction side of the turbomolecular pump, a preliminary vacuum pump connected to the pressure side of the turbomolecular pump, and a booster pump stage. The suction side of the booster pump stage has a connection for a test object and the pressure side is connected to the pressure side of the turbomolecular pump and to the suction side of the preliminary vacuum pump by means of a gas line path. The stages of the turbomolecular pump and the booster pump stage are arranged on a common shaft and have a common drive and the gas line path is interrupted, by means of a separation, between the pressure side of the booster pump stage and the suction side of the pump stage of the turbomolecular pump connected to the mass spectrometer.

Abstract: A vacuum bell probe for detecting leaks in underground gas pipes may include a flexible suction cup having a bottom side forming a suction opening. The suction cup may define an interior volume. The bottom side may include a soft seal ring having a higher elasticity than the suction cup, surrounding the suction opening and forming a contact surface adapted to create a seal in contact with a ground surface under which a gas leak may be assumed such that a vacuum may be generated within the interior volume upon contact to the ground surface.

Abstract: A system for analyzing an analyte is described herein. The system includes a chamber having an inlet and a semi-permeable membrane arranged to seal the inlet. The semi-permeable membrane includes a cross-linked mixture of a first compound and a second compound. The system can also include a radiation source arranged in the vacuum chamber, the radiation source spaced apart from the semi-permeable membrane and adapted to irradiate the semi-permeable membrane with electromagnetic radiation at a frequency at least partially absorbed by the semi-permeable membrane.

Abstract: A method for detecting a leak in a test object, including inserting the test object into a test chamber; filling the test object with a test gas; and adjusting a pressure in the test chamber and a pressure in the test object such that the test chamber pressure is lower than the test object pressure. The test chamber contains air and the test object is filled exclusively with a gas containing no molecules with oxygen atoms. In order to detect a leak in the test object, an oxygen proportion of the air in the test chamber is measured with an oxygen sensor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the gross leak measurement of an at least partially incompressible test object (18) in a film chamber (12) that comprises at least one flexible wall region and is connected, in a gas-conducting manner, to a pressure sensor (30), a vacuum pump (26) and, by way of a calibration valve (34), to a calibration chamber (36) enclosing a calibration volume (37), comprising the steps of evacuating the film chamber (12), measuring the pressure curve within the film chamber (12) after the evacuation is completed, connecting, in a gas-conducting manner, the calibration volume (37) to the inner volume of the film chamber (12) during the measurement of the pressure curve, the pressure being measured before the gas-conducting connection is established, and with the gas-conducting connection established, to the film chamber (12), and the pressure in the calibration chamber (36) prior to the connection to the film chamber (12) being higher or lower than the pressure in the film chamber (12

Abstract: Method for wide range gas detection using a gas detection system comprising a sample gas inlet, a reference gas inlet, a gas modulation valve and a gas analyzer, wherein the gas modulation valve alternatingly connects the sample gas inlet to the gas analyzer during a sample gas time period and the reference gas inlet to the gas analyzer during a reference gas time period, characterized in that the sample gas time period is shorter than the reference gas time period such that the sample gas concentration in the gas analyzer is reduced.

Abstract: Methods and systems for chemical analysis. For instance, a device for chemical analysis of a sample includes a housing, an inlet, a pump, multiple membranes and at least one detector. The housing contains an interior chamber of the device. The inlet on the housing introduces the sample into the interior chamber. The pump is connected to the housing to form a partial vacuum in the interior chamber. The multiple membranes have different response times to different constituents of the sample. The multiple membranes include at least a first membrane and a second membrane. The multiple membranes have different response times to different constituents of the sample. The detector is for detecting the different constituents of the sample after interaction with the multiple membranes. In addition, a method for chemical analysis of a sample. A first step includes introducing a sample to multiple membranes having different response times to different constituents of the sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for leakage detection on at least one flexible test piece in a film chamber, including inserting the at least one test piece into a film chamber, lowering the pressure in the film chamber outside the at least one test piece, and detecting a leakage in the at least one test piece by observing the spatial change of the film of the film chamber. The outer contour of the at least one test piece is transferred to at least one section of the film by the lowering of the pressure in the film chamber. The contour of the film is recorded with an image recording system, and the recorded images of the contour are compared with reference images of said contour in the event of a tight test piece.

Abstract: A method for leak detection of a test specimen includes providing an evacuable film test chamber which is operatively coupled to a pressure measuring device, and at least one processor operatively coupled to the pressure measuring device; measuring a pressure within the evacuable film test chamber by the pressure measuring device at predetermined times during a measurement period of time; calculating by the processor, a first or higher order derivative of a pressure change with respect to time at a first predetermined time, and a first or higher order derivative of a pressure change with respect to time at least at a second predetermined time during the measurement period of time, to provide at least a pair of derivative values; and categorizing by the processor a leaky or tight state of the specimen under test by a pattern recognition process based on the pair of derivative values.

Abstract: A device for evacuating a film chamber using a pump system that comprises at least two vacuum pumps, designed to evacuate the film chamber alternately. A suction capacity of the first vacuum pump is greater than that of the second vacuum pump and the final pressure achievable by the first vacuum pump is less than that of the second vacuum pump.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas leakage search device including a test gas spray device for spraying a test object with a test gas, a vacuum assembly for evacuating the test object, wherein the vacuum assembly has a vacuum pump and a gas detector downstream of the test object for measuring the test gas proportion, and an analysis unit which evaluates the measurement signal of the gas detector. The invention is characterized in that a data communication connection is established between the spray device and the analysis unit; the spray device is designed to detect at least one point in time of the spraying process and to transmit same to the analysis unit, and the analysis unit is designed to output the corresponding measured test gas proportion at the transmitted point in time of the spraying process.

Abstract: A system for monitoring thin film deposition is described. The system includes a quartz crystal and a synthesizer to generate a modulated signal. The modulated signal is to be grounded through the quartz crystal. The system also includes a phase detector to determine a phase of the modulated signal from the quartz crystal in order to monitor thin film deposition. A modulation index can be selected so that, at resonance, high frequency of the signal matches the crystal frequency.