Bakeable cryopump

• US 4,514,204 A
• Filed: 03/21/1983
• Issued: 04/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: APD Cryogenics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Longsworth, Ralph C., Bonney, Glenn E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sever, Frank
• Application Number:
  US06/477,478
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 62/6, 62/41, 62/55.5, 62/100, 62/268, 55/DIG. 15, 55/269
• US Class Current: 62/55.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 37/08 by condensing or freezing, e.g. cryogenic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/006 Thermal coupling structure or interface

Abstract

A bakeable cryopump having a housing and means to removeably receive the displacer end of a cryogenic refrigerator to cool internal cryopanels said cryopumps adapted for removal of the refrigerator without loss of vacuum inside the cryopump and further adapted to be heated under vacuum to remove pumped gases primarily water so that the cryopumps after cooling can be used at vacuum of at least 10^-10 Torr.

Claims

1. A bakeable cryopump comprising in combination:

a flange designed for mounting said cryopump to a vacuum chamber normally operated at vacuums of 10^-10 torr or below;

a generally cylindrical refrigerator housing fixed to said flange, said refrigerator housing designed and arranged to receive a two-stage displacer-expander refrigerator head so that a coldest stage of said refrigerator head can be brought in thermal contact with a closed end of said refrigerator housing said refrigerator removable from said housing without loss of vacuum inside said cryopump, said refrigerator housing further designed and arranged in combination with a thermal transfer media contained in said housing at approximately 1 atmosphere pressure to thermally contact a warmer stage of said refrigerator;

at least one cryopanel fixed to said closed end of the refrigerator housing said cryopanel including means to minimize radiant heat loads and to cryopump hydrogen, said housing and said cryopanel fabricated from materials and by methods to minimize out-gassing of the structure under vacuum;

said refrigerator head being designed to be readily removed from said refrigerator housing and said cryopump housing heated to temperatures above 200°

C. under vacuum conditions to remove adsorbed gases from said cryopanel.

2. A cryopump according to claim 1 wherein said thermal transfer media is helium.

3. A cryopump according to claim 1 wherein there is included two cryopanels on said closed end of said refrigerator housing one of said panels having disposed thereon an adsorbent.

4. A cryopump according to claim 1 or 3 wherein said cryopanels are fabricated from highly conductive metal, said panels plated with a radiation reflective metal on the outside surface and having a radiation absorbing coating on the inside surface.

5. A cryopump according to claim 1 wherein said refrigerator housing is fabricated from stainless steel with copper heat station.

6. A cryopump according to claim 1 wherein a cryopanel is fixed to the portion of said refrigerator housing in thermal contact with the warmer stage of said refrigerator and is of a generally cylindrical shape extending beyond the first end of said refrigerator housing with an inwardly turned flange shaped portion on said terminating end.

7. A cryopump according to claim 1 wherein the materials of construction are selected to minimize outgassing at ultra high vacuum levels.

8. A bakeable cryopump comprising in combination:

a generally cylindrical cryopump housing having a first end containing a flange designed for mounting said cryopump housing to a vacuum chamber normally operated at vacuum of 10^-10 torr or below and a second end having thereon a closure;

said closure having a generally cylindrical refrigerator housing extending longitudinally inside said housing from said second end toward said first end, said refrigerator housing designed and arranged to receive a two-stage displacer-expander refrigerator head so that a first or cold stage of said refrigerator head can be brought in contact with a closed end of said refrigerator housing, said refrigerator housing further designed and arranged to contact a second stage of said refrigerator in a slip fit manner;

at least one cryopanel fixed to said closed end said cryopanel containing an adsorbent to cryopump hydrogen, said adsorbent fixed in relation to said panel by means, designed to maintain said adsorbent at the temperature of the cold stage of said refrigerator and a second cryopanel fixed to the portion of the refrigerator housing where said refrigerator head engages said refrigerator housing in the slip fit manner said second panel designed to prevent heat radiation to said adsorbent, said housing and said cryopanels fabricated from materials and by methods to minimize out-gassing of the structure under operating vacuums;

said refrigerator head is designed to be readily removed from said refrigerator housing without loss of vacuum in said cryopump and said cryopump housing can be heated to temperatures above 200°

C. under vacuum conditions to remove pumped gases from said cryopanels.

9. A cryopump according to claim 8 wherein said refrigerator housing includes means to surround said refrigerator with a thermal transfer media at essentially 0 psig.

10. A cryopump according to claim 8 wherein there is included two cryopanels on said closed end of said refrigerator housing one of said panels having disposed thereon an adsorbent.

11. A cryopump according to claim 8 to 10 wherein said cryopanels are fabricated from a material of high thermal conductivity, said panels plated with a radiation reflective metal on the outside surface and having a radiation absorbing coating on the inside surface.

12. A cryopump according to claim 8 wherein said cryopump housing is fabricated from stainless steel.

13. A cryopump according to claim 8 wherein said cryopanel fixed to the slip fit portion of said refrigerator housing is of a generally cylindrical shape extending toward the first end of said housing terminating before the first end of said housing and having an inwardly turned flange shaped portion on said terminating end.

14. A cryopump according to claim 8 wherein said refrigeration is transferred from said refrigerator head to said housing by means of convective heat transfer.