Geomertries & Characteristics
Vacuum chambers are built in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, limited only by application, imagination, and engineering consideration. Chambers range in volume from less than 1 cc to the "world's largest vacuum chamber" at NASA Plumbrook, USA which is 100 ft diameter by 122 ft tall (~3.5 x 1010 cc).
The more 'standard' vacuum chamber shapes include: box, sphere, cylinder, D-shape, and bell jar. Additional components, used in vacuum chamber construction, include: endplates, and service wells. All are separately discussed to illustrates the strengths of the basic shapes/designs.
Box Chamber
| Cylindrical Chamber
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Metal Bell Jars
| Service wells
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CF Flanged Zero Length Kodial Glass Viewports
These zero-length CF flanged glass viewports are available in several different Kodial glass coatings to suit a variety of applications. Viewports can be used to: let the operator view a process; initiate chemical or physical action using specific wavelengths; make measurements of emissions occurring in a process; or to monitor the effects of specific wavelengths (ellipsometry).
CF Flanged Glass Viewports Feature:
- UHV compatible
- Large, distortion-free viewing area with no interior voids ensures no virtual leaks nor trapped dirt
- Optical discs are commercial-grade, fully annealed Kodial glass (alkali borosilicate 7056)
- Kodial glass is sealed to a Kovar metal transistion piece before welding to a 304L stainless steel CF flange
- Can withstand repeated bakeout cycles to 350° C (heating rate should not exceed 2-3° per minute)
NOTE: All viewports are fragile and should be handled and mounted with extreme caution. CF flanged viewports require a fully annealed copper gasket. Never scratch the viewing area—a weakened viewport may implode (or explode under wrong conditions). Make sure the "glass" chosen has a reasonable transmission at the wavelengths of interest. And remember, what is not transmitted may be reflected or absorbed.