Sample Course Outline for a IUVSTA Technical Training Course

(Courtesy of the Polish Vacuum Society)

Length: 3 days

Part I: Basic physical processes relevant for vacuum technology (3+2 h):

• Introduction:
• a concept of vacuum (definition, units, history)
• applications of the vacuum technology
• Kinetic theory of gases, ideal gas, molecular incidence rate and cosine law, transport phenomena, thermal transportation, gas flow.
• Physical and chemical phenomena at gas/solid interface:
• physisorption, chemisorption
• desorption rate
• cryotrapping
• diffusion of gases through solid (metal)
• interaction of particles with solid surface.

 

Part II: Methods and devices for obtaining vacuum (2 h):

• Basics of pumping technology, mechanical vacuum pumps (rotary pump, dry pump), turbomolecular pump, diffusion pump, cryopump, getter pump, ion pump.

 

Part III: Vacuum measurements (4 h):

• Vacuum measurement and gauges: manometers, thermocouple manometer, ionization gauges (hot, cold cathode), calibration of vacuum gauge.
• Partial pressure measurements: mass spectrometry/spectroscopy, ion sources - ionisers, ion detectors, mass analysers (magnetic deflection, quadrupole mass filter, time-of-flight), data analysis.
• Leak detection: leak rate, leak detection techniques, mass spectrometer leak detection.

Part IV: Applications of vacuum in industry (3 h):

• Practical examples of vacuum applications in various industrial processes selected and reviewed by representatives of the Polish vacuum companies.

Goals of the course :

The Technical Short Course is offered mainly to Polish technicians, production engineers, junior researchers and students responsible for safe handling/operation and maintenance of vacuum equipment/systems in the local industries and laboratories of educational and research institutions. The Course should significantly enhance the knowledge and understanding of basic physical processes relevant for vacuum technology, provide practical knowledge required for every day operation of vacuum devices and measurements of vacuum, as well as introduce the trainees to selected aspects of technological processes requiring vacuum. Personal interaction between the course instructors and the trainees shall help in establishing long term contacts for future consulting and distribution of knowledge between academic circles, vacuum equipment producers and distributors, and vacuum practical users. The Course will end with test evaluation of the participants progress. The participants passing the required evaluation limit will be entitled to receive the course certificate issued by the Polish Vacuum Society.