Regensburg 2013 – scientific programme

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VA: Fachverband Vakuumphysik und Vakuumtechnik

VA 1: Future Requirements on Vacuum Pumps and Vacuum Gauges

VA 1.3: Invited Talk

Monday, March 11, 2013, 11:00–11:40, H6

Redefinition of a 60 years old barrier: simple Bayard-Alpert gauge beats the X-ray limit — •Philipp Giese, Jaroslaw Iwicki, Marco Walter, Heiko Wunderlich, Michael Flämmich, and Ute Bergner — VACOM Vakuum Komponenten & Messtechnik GmbH, Gabelsbergerstraße 9, 07749 Jena, Germany

Since the invention of the Bayard-Alpert (BA) hot cathode ionization gauge in 1950 there is a continuous trend with increasingly challenging effort to improve the lower pressure measurement limit. In this regard, several attempts with rather complex setups have been made in the past. In this contribution a standard-like BA gauge is discussed with dedicated focus to accuracy and reproducibility in the lower pressure measurement range. BA gauges deliver a minor residual current that is inherent to the design of the sensor and that defines the lower measurement limit of the gauge. An investigation of the basic physical processes that contribute to the residual currents in BA gauges yields a novel approach to minimize the residual current in BA gauges directly in the sensor while keeping the simple and established BA setup. Experimental results of a new BA gauge with a compensation of the residual current (BARION XHV) show an extended lower measurement limit by two decades down to XHV and a significantly increased accuracy in the pressure range 1E-9...1E-11 mbar. Due to a respective design, furthermore, an improved reproducibility is ensured.