The Ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) facility researches the outgassing of materials or components that could be used in space or in vacuum facilities. It complements the micro-VCM facility, which is only able to conduct irreversible tests on individual materials. Examples of components that have been tested are electrical motors, circuit boards, heaters and camera lenses. In addition, it is also possible to examine the success of cleaning procedures by testing materials or components in the UHV facility after the cleaning steps.
Tests carried out in the UHV facility are based on the comparison of measured outgassing rates in the test chamber before and after the test object has been introduced. Depending on the shape of the test object, the rate of outgassing can be determined either for a specific area, measured in mbar∙l/s∙m², or for all outgassing, measured in mbar∙l/s. The measurements are usually taken over a period of 1-2 weeks in order to obtain additional information about the development of outgassing over time. Measurements are carried out with a mass spectrometer in the range of 1-512 u. This provides valuable information about possible causes for the rate of measured outgassing (e.g. the volume of trapped air, residue from cleaning agents, or outgassing from used materials).
The UHV facility has been accredited by the German accreditation body DAkkS for applied testing procedures in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005.
Technical specifications
Volume of the test chamber
12 l
Volume of the lock chamber
7 l
Vacuum (empty test chamber)
approx. 5x10-10 mbar
Sample temperature
RT up to approx, 250 °C
Mass spectrometer
1 – 512 u
The facility can be heated to approximately 230 °C
