AVS 49th International Symposium
    Vacuum Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session VT-TuM

Paper VT-TuM8
Investigations of Novel Getter Materials

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 10:40 am, Room C-104

Session: Novel Vacuum Materials and Pumps, Including Getters
Presenter: W. Knapp, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany
Authors: W. Knapp, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany
D. Schleussner, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Germany
T. Stenitzer, Konstantin Technologies GmbH, Austria
K. Chuntonov, Alkali Metals Ltd., Israel
Correspondent: Click to Email
The novel chemisorbents on the basis of alkali, alkali-earth and rare-earth metals have recently emerged as one of the most promising getter materials. The novel getters are based on an A-B alloy system, where A is a chemically active metal and B is a fusible non-volatile metal. Metal B is creating a protective shell on the whole surface of the novel getter material, which is impermeable during handling and storing and permeable when activated. The main advantages of the novel getters compared to the standard getter materials in use are: - Much higher kinetic and capacity sorption, - Significant lower activation temperatures, - Very small size and flexible design possible, - Easy handling of very active materials, e.g. Li, Na, Cs etc. In quantitatively proof of advantages and for basic getter investigations an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) experimental setup with a high measurement standard was developed. Getter temperatures and gas flow rates are regulated for different operations. On the basis of precise total and partial vacuum pressure measurements the getter sorption capacities are valued and compared in dependence on vacuum pressure range and kind of gases. For this with our experimental setup different measurement methods are possible, like pressure rise, throughput and difference method. We investigated sorption capacities of standard and novel getters using the pressure rise method. In our presentation comparative results of our investigations are presented and discussed.