Abstract: A cryogenic vacuum pump includes, in an integral assembly, temperature sensors and heaters associated with the first and second stages of the cryopumping array, a roughing valve and a purge valve. An electronic module removably coupled in the assembly responds to all sensors and controls all operations of the cryopump including regeneration thereof. System parameters are stored in a nonvolatile memory in the module. Included in the regeneration procedures are an auto-zero of the pressure gauge, heating of the array throughout rough pumping, and a change in pressure rate test to determine stall in rough pumping. The electronic module also restarts the system after power failure, limits use of a pressure gauge to safe conditions, provides warnings before allowing opening of the valves while the cryopump is operating and stores sensor calibration information. Control through a control pad on the pump may be limited by a password requirement. Password override is also provided.

Abstract: A cryogenic refrigerating device comprising includes an adiabatic vacuum tank, a refrigerator having at least a low temperature generating portion of the refrigerator accommodated in the adiabatic vacuum tank, an adsorption panel attached to the low temperature generating portion of the refrigerator at a location for adsorbing molecules floating in a vacuum in the adiabatic vacuum tank, and a selective sorbing device provided in the adiabatic vacuum tank at a location for sorbing selected molecules floating in the adiabatic vacuum tank. The molecules in the adiabatic vacuum tank are adsorbed by either the panel or by the adsorbing device for keeping the vacuum pressure level in the tank constant for a long period of time.

Abstract: An integrated phase separator for use in an ultra high vacuum system, for example, a molecular beam epitaxy system, is described. The vacuum chamber has a cryogenic panel disposed therein. The cryogenic panel includes a cryogenic shroud region and a phase separator region. Liquid nitrogen is introduced into the cryogenic panel via an inlet line. As the liquid nitrogen warms and vaporizes, nitrogen vapor rises within the shroud. The phase separator region within the cryogenic panel provides a near atmospheric pressure vapor barrier over the liquid nitrogen so that the nitrogen vapor may escape smoothly through the outlet of the panel, without forming gas bursts. Also, the phase separator region is vacuum jacketed to prevent cryogenic shroud surface temperature changes due to variations in liquid nitrogen levels, thereby increasing the cryogenic shroud's pumping stability.

Abstract: A cryopump system includes an integral assembly having a refrigerator, cryopumping surfaces cooled by the refrigerator, a first electronic module for controlling the cryopump, and a second electronic module which is removably coupled to the first module. The second electronic module has a first surface abutting a complementary first surface of a housing of the first electronic module. Preferably, the first controller module has three orthogonal surfaces of approximately the same dimensions. Electronic modules can be removably coupled to each of the three surfaces.

Abstract: An evacuation system having a long service life, a compact configuration and high reliability is disclosed. The system enables the process gases to be reused, so that the overall costs of capital investment and operation are reduced. The system comprises a processing chamber, and a vacuum pump communicating with the processing chamber by way of an evacuation conduit for evacuating the processing chamber. The evacuation conduit are provided with not less than two trapping devices arranged in series and operating at different temperatures for capturing different components contained in an exhaust gas discharged from the processing chamber.

Abstract: A cryopump in which the surface area of the condensing or adsorbing panels is increased without materially increasing the dimensions by applying a porous or roughened layer on the surface of the panels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cryopump coupled to a gate valve in which the gate valve is automatically prevented from being opened during unsafe conditions, for example, when combustible gases such as hydrogen may be present in the cryopump, but may be operated during safe conditions. A method of controlling the gate valve includes automatically determining with a controller whether the cryopump is operating in one of safe and unsafe conditions. The unsafe conditions are situations where combustible gas may be present in the cryopump and may be correlated to parameters of the cryopump including operational modes of the cryopump, and sensed parameters. The gate valve is automatically controlled with the controller based on the determination of safe and unsafe conditions. The gate valve is automatically locked closed during unsafe conditions and remains locked until the unsafe conditions are removed.

Abstract: A cryogenic vacuum pump includes, in an integral assembly, temperature sensors and heaters associated with the first and second stages of the cryopumping array, a roughing valve and a purge valve. An electronic module removably coupled in the assembly responds to all sensors and controls all operations of the cryopump including regeneration thereof. System parameters are stored in a nonvolatile memory in the module. Included in the regeneration procedures are an auto-zero of the pressure gauge, heating of the array throughout rough pumping, and a change in pressure rate test to determine stall in rough pumping. The electronic module also restarts the system after power failure, limits use of a pressure gauge to safe conditions, provides warnings before allowing opening of the valves while the cryopump is operating and stores sensor calibration information. Control through a control pad on the pump may be limited by a password requirement. Password override is also provided.

Abstract: A cryopump system includes an integral assembly having a refrigerator, cryopumping surfaces cooled by the refrigerator, a first electronic module for controlling the cryopump, and a second electronic module which is removably coupled to the first module. The second electronic module has a first surface abutting a complementary first surface of a housing of the first electronic module. Preferably, the first controller module has three orthogonal surfaces of approximately the same dimensions. Electronic modules can be removably coupled to each of the three surfaces. The cryopump system includes a module cap which is coupled to an end of an electronic module to shield electrical connections between two coupled electronic modules. The electronic modules comprise a channel of rectangular cross section having slots for mounting printed circuit boards.

Abstract: Methods of hyperpolarizing a noble gas by spin-exchange optical pumping use an alkali metal hybrid comprising a primary alkali metal and an auxiliary alkali metal to effectuate spin transfer interaction among the primary alkali metal, the auxiliary alkali metal, and the noble gas.

Abstract: A temperature-responsive, mobile shielding device (10) is located between a getter pump (GP) and a turbo pump (TMP) being in line to each other, capable of providing a complete shielding to the radiating heat transfer from the getter pump to the turbo pump when the non-evaporable getter material is heated to be activated, while on the contrary leaving free, without sensible reductions of conductance the transfer during the normal working of the pumps. This is obtained by providing, mounted on a vacuum flange (13) coupling the two pumps, a set of shielding metal members (11, 31) including shape-memory elements, preferably of Ni—Ti alloy, capable of assuming two different configurations in a first of which, at a higher temperature, the shielding members (11, 31) are substantially all co-planar, with their edges slightly overlapping to form a complete shielding, while in a second configuration, at a lower temperature, the shielding members leave substantially free the passage between the two pumps.

Abstract: Hyperpolarizers which produce hyperpolarized noble gases include one or more on-board NMR monitoring coils configured to monitor the polarization level of the hyperpolarized gas at various production points in the polarized gas production cycle. A dual symmetry NMR coil is positioned adjacent the optical pumping cell and is in fluid communication with a secondary reservoir in fluid communication with the polarized gas dispensing or exit flow path. This can measure the post-thaw polarization of the gas “on-board” the polarizer. Alternately or additionally, a NMR monitoring coil is assembled to the exit port portion of the optical pumping cell to give a more reliable indication of the polarization level of the gas as it flows out of the gas optical pumping cell. Another NMR monitoring coil can be positioned in a cryogenic bath adjacent a quantity of frozen polarized 129Xe to determine the polarization level of the frozen gas.

Abstract: A pulse tube refrigerator which enables holding a cooling temperature without the use of a heater and the like. The pulse tube refrigerator employs a working gas which has a liquefying temperature within the range of an operating temperature of the pulse tube refrigerator.

Abstract: A condenser cold trap unit for recovering as separate primary and secondary condensate fractions solvents contained in an effluent drawn from products being dried in a vacuum chamber includes inner and outer shell vessels, the inner shell vessel be disposed coaxially with the outer shell vessel inside said outer shell vessel with a space being present in the outer shell vessel under the bottom of the inner shell vessel and in a course surrounding the exterior of the inner shell vessel. A cover closes off the open tops of the two shell vessels and the interior space of the outer shell vessel is sealed from communication with outside atmosphere, and the interior space of the inner shell vessel is sealed from any communication with the interior space of the outer shell vessel. A common refrigeration coil encircles the exterior of the inner shell vessel and extends down therefrom to effect solvents condensing temperature levels cooling in both shell vessels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing polarized high-pressure vapor-phase helium-3, particularly for NMR imaging. The apparatus comprises a means for injecting helium-3 or a mixture of isotopes into an optical pumping cell (2), a means for liquefying the polarized gas from the optical pumping cell (2) and a tank (4) for storing the polarized liquid-phase helium-3, characterized in that the storage tank (4) is cooled to a temperature that may be set between a storage temperature Ta and an evaporation temperature Te, and communicates alternately with the optical pumping cell (2) and a high-pressure helium-3 gas discharge duct.

Abstract: A gasket designed for use with a cryogenic vacuum pump, or cryopump, includes a ring and a dam extending inwardly from the ring. The dam acts as a barrier preventing transport of particulates to a gate valve when the gasket is mounted between the cryopump and gate valve. In an alternative embodiment, the dam is separate from the ring.

Abstract: An assembly includes a temperature sensor having an operating range that includes a normal operating temperature of a cryogenic vacuum pump and a temperature of the pump following a dump. The assembly may be included in a semiconductor processing apparatus for performing an implant operation on a wafer. The apparatus includes: a chamber containing a wafer; an ion source that provides ions to be implanted in the wafer; a cryogenic vacuum pump that maintains a vacuum in the chamber; and a temperature sensor having an operating range that includes a normal operating temperature of the pump and a temperature of the pump following a dump. A circular mounting bracket may be used to mount the temperature sensor on an exterior surface of the pump. An alarm may be activated when the sensed temperature indicates that a dump condition exists. An inert gas, such as nitrogen, may be introduced into the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus when the sensed temperature indicates that a dump condition exists.

Abstract: A cold trap that is equipped with a curvilinear housing and a curvilinear cooling plate contained therein for collecting unwanted reactant gases and reaction byproducts in an exhaust gas is disclosed. In the curvilinear housing of the cold trap, a curvilinear cooling plate, i.e., in a convex shape is provided which has a plurality of cooling fins mounted on a convex surface facing an incoming flow of exhaust gas such that contaminating powder in the exhaust gas is collected by the cooling fins. The present invention novel curvilinear cooling plate functions at twice the efficiency of a conventional flat cooling plate such that the frequency for cleaning required for the present invention novel cold trap is reduced.

Abstract: For simultaneously controlling a plurality of cryopumps, one processor and communication conversion sections of the respective cryopumps are connected to each other with a communication network. The processor and a host computer are connected to each other with an exclusive line. The processor controls the cryopumps in time division by performing data exchange with the communication conversion sections of the cryopumps by means of packet exchange, line exchange and the like via the communication network. Thus, the need of providing exclusive processors for the cryopumps, respectively, is eliminated, allowing a large extent of cost reduction as well as a wiring simplification to be realized.

Abstract: The present invention provides techniques for processing effluent gases from vacuum fabrication processes. The effluent gases are condensed on cold surfaces (512 and 514) inside a novel pump (220) resulting in a high vacuum. The pump (220) can be connected to a vacuum fabrication processing chamber (210) and to a turbo molecular pump (275). The condensate which is formed on the cold surfaces of the pump (220) is subsequently evaporated to form regenerated gases during the regeneration of the pump. A pressure vessel (280) is removably connected to the pump during regeneration, causing the regenerated gases to fill the pump and the pressure vessel at pressures ranging from about 10,343 torr (200 psi) to about 103,430 torr ( 2,000 psi). The pressure vessel is closed when substantially all condensate has evaporated. The vessel containing regenerated gases can then be connected to an on-site or to a remote gas treatment facility for removal of noxious substances.

Abstract: A detachable work extraction system includes an expansion engine including a self-sealing coupling adapted to detachably connect the expansion engine to a cold box, and a hydraulic work extractor operatively connected to the expansion engine. A gas can travel from the cold box to the expansion engine through the self-sealing coupling. The gas is cooled by expansion of the gas in the expansion engine and work produced by the expansion of the gas is dissipated by the hydraulic work extractor. The expansion engine includes a cylinder housing a piston. The cylinder has a first self-sealing coupling defining an inlet and a second self-sealing coupling defining an outlet. The first and second self-sealing couplings each have a spring loaded seal. In the absence of an external force applied to the seal, the seal prevents flow of gas through the couplings.