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Industrial Uses Of Vacuum Chambers

A vacuum chamber is a rigid enclosure from which air and other gases are removed by a vacuum pump. A vacuum is created to allow for the testing or manufacture of substances that must be conducted in an environment where the pressure is far less than that of the atmosphere. Chambers made of aluminum allow one to control the magnetic field inside from outside the vacuum. On the other hand, chambers that are constructed of mu-metal will prevent external magnetic fields from interfering with the vacuum.

To eliminate the possibility of contamination, vacuum chambers are used in a variety of industrial processes, particularly in the semi-conductor manufacturing arena, where the slightest amount of contamination can destroy the substrate. These ultra high vacuum applications are frequently utilized in semi-conductor manufacturing processes, because even the slightest degree of contamination can be disastrous in this industry. As referenced previously, vacuum chambers produce an environment that is conducive to testing devices that must operate in the vacuum that exists in outer space. Many vacuum chambers are constructed of aluminum, because aluminum, unlike other metals, is not magnetic.

Vacuum chambers are frequently constructed with multiple ports, covered with flanges, to allow instruments or windows to be installed in the walls of the chamber. For processes that only need low to medium levels of vacuum, rubber o-ring seals are utilized. In applications where very high vacuum levels are used, the flanges are made out of hardened steel which are sealed onto copper gaskets.

For outer space applications, thermal vacuum chambers are utilized, because the emulate a thermal environment that is present in space. This type of application will also utilize a highly advanced   vacuum pump

When resins and silicon rubbers are produced, vacuum chambers and pumps are used. A vacuum chamber is needed when manufacturing resins and silicone rubber to insure that the mold is free of air bubbles. A small vacuum chamber is needed for eliminating air bubbles for materials prior to their setting. The casting or molding material is mixed according to the manufacturers directions. When this type of material is placed in a vacuum, it will normally expand to over 4 times its initial volume, consequently the vacuum chamber must be large enough to handle this volume expansion. If this is not the case, there will not be enough volume in the chamber to finish the process. The material container is then placed into the vacuum chamber; a vacuum pump is connected and turned on. After the vacuum gets to 982 mbar, the material will start to rise. . After the material reaches its full volume it will stabilize and not rise any further. The material is maintained in the vacuum for 3 more minutes in insure that all air has been removed from it. Once this interval is reached the vacuum pump is shut off and the vacuum chamber release valve is opened to equalize air pressure. The vacuum chamber is opened and the material is removed and ready to pour into the mold.

Vacuum chambers utilized in the semi-conductor industry involve an exceedingly complex process. Due the very high levels of air purity required to avoid contamination of semi-conductor devices, these devices must be processed in ultra pure vacuums. As semi-conductor devices have packed increasingly dense circuitry into smaller and smaller silicon real estate, the need for ever increasing vacuum levels has also risen. Therefore, highly advanced ultra high vacuum chambers are used in space research and semi-conductor manufacturing processes. The semi-conductor industry utilizes such densely packed circuitry that even impurities that consist of one or two molecules, can disrupt their processes.

Electrical Detection and Magnetic-Field Control of Spin States of Phosphorus-doped Silicon