Understanding residual gas analyzers
Start here if you are working out whether an RGA fits your system.
- Introduction to Residual Gas Analyzers What an RGA measures, operating pressure ranges, and why mean free path decides how you can use one.
- How it Works Principles of operation in four steps: create the ions, filter them, detect them, amplify the signal.
- Ion Gauge and Pirani Gauge Operation Why the XT probe carries two total pressure gauges of its own, and what that buys you.
Applications
Common applications, and what an RGA is used to find in each.
- UHV and Leak Detection Gross leaks, air leaks and helium spraying, virtual leaks, and using an RGA to verify a bakeout.
- Thin Film Deposition Chamber cleanliness before a run, and sampling process gas through a differentially pumped manifold during one.
- Space Industry Outgassing in thermal vacuum chambers, and monitoring propellant species in electric propulsion testing.
- Catalysis and TPD Studies Temperature-programmed desorption, and correlating mass data with reactor temperature.
Application notes
One problem per note, with real spectra.
Looking for manuals or software?
Documentation, downloads and service procedures for instruments you already own are on the support pages.