True gas sensing in vacuum and atmosphere, where RGAs fail to go

Quadrupole Residual Gas Analysers (RGAs) have been used for the last 30 years as the principle means to detect gases present in a vacuum environment. There are, however, two main aspects of an RGA that can limit its suitability for industrial processes: • Operation is suited to lower pressures meaning that most industrial vacuum processes also require a differential turbo pumping arrangement • If volatile gases are present, they will deposit within the quadrupole. This restricts further operation until decontamination has occurred This paper will illustrate with examples a new optical analyzing process to withstand volatile species and enable gas partial pressure measurement in all vacuum applications such as Annealing, Brazing, LPC, CVD, ALD, graphene and CNT (carbon nano-tube) production, and etch environments.