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LEAK DETECTION

Introduction

Ideal vacuum chamber

What would an IDEAL vacuum chamber look like?
Stable wall surfaces NO leaks only source of gas is the gas delivery system(process in the chamber)

In a REAL vacuum system, there can be other sources of gas besides the gas delivery system. What problems can these other gas sources cause?
significantly increase the pump down time. contaminants in the system.

Leak in vacuum systems

Loading the unwanted gasses to the vacuum system and then pressure increasing in the system is known as leak. Leak a big problems in vacuum techniques and leak detection is a big challenge . In practice there are two main aspect of leak detection: (1) Testing the components and (2) Testing completed systems

Types of leaks
There are 2 kinds of leak in the vacuum system (1): Real leak When the gasses passes from atmosphere into the vacuum system (2) Virtual leak When the gasses or vapors load or deliver to the system by (a) Desorption the gasses from chamber`s wall and components (b) Trapped spaces

Gas Sources
The three main ways that undesired gasses can get into a vacuum system and the pressures increases: Leaks( Vertual leak and Real leak) Outgassing Backstreaming

Gas Sources
Leaks (Real)
a crack or hole in the vacuum system drawing molecules from the surrounding atmosphere into the work chamber dirty/worn/damaged/impro perly-seated seals (90%+) cracked or porous welds cracks or flaws in the chamber walls loose components such as feed-throughts
the migration of gas through the wall material or O-ring

Gas Sources
Leaks (Virtual)
apparent leaks caused by release of trapped gas inside the system threaded fastener cavity flange connections and contacts Vented screws are used to eliminate virtual leaks.

Gas Sources
Outgassing: the natural evolution of species inside the chamber, at low pressure, contributing to the gas load
Sublimation of solid chamber surfaces Desorption from the walls of physically adsorbed molecules Out-Diffusion of gas that has been absorbed into the grain boundaries of the metal Vaporization of liquids or solids in the chamber

Gas Sources
When is outgassing likely to occur?
after chamber clean after being open to atmosphere
The polar nature of water molecules causes them to persistently adsorb to chamber surfaces in many layers due to hydrogen bonding. These layers can take a very long time to outgas.

How can outgassing be reduced?

Wear gloves during cleaning fingerprints are disastrous to a vacuum system! ONE fingerprint can take several hours to outgas in a high vacuum system! Thoroughly remove all liquids and residues before closing use correct materials for seals, cleaning, etc.

How does vapor pressure affect outgassing?

Gas Sources
Backstreaming:
an ideal pump only removes molecules and does not give any back real pumps repeat some gasses back into the system oil from diffusion pumps and rotary vane pumps oil-based pumping systems are designed with anti-suckback valves, and cold traps to minimize backstreaming this is the primary reason for the gradual replacement of oil-based pumps with dry pumps

Gas Sources
Diffusion Permeation Real Leaks Outgassing Virtual Backstreaming

Trapped Volumes

Vented Screw

Double O ring sealed shafts

Atmosphere (760 torr) Vacuum

Real leak and virtual leak curves

.
P

t Real leak Virtual leak

t Leak present in vacuum system

Methods of leak detection

There is two methods for detection of the leak: searching gas is inside (I) or out side (O) the system
Searching gas

P gauge

out

P in>p out detector

in

(O)

(I)
Searching gas Chamber leak

Pin<p out

Soap bubbles
.
leak He or Air Soap bubbles

(I)

It is possible to obtain higher sensitivities using liquids of lower surface tension

Discharge tube Test

.
leak chamber

Discharge Tube

pump

Day spray Test

Dye spray

leak

pump

Spark Test
.
spark

Probe

pump

Palladium barrier leak detector

Vacuum chamber H2

Plalladium plaet Thermal cathode

+
Thermal cathode

Halogen detector
.
+

filament Platinum plate

Vacuum chamber Halogen gasses

Leak covering by tape

Leak covering (O)
H leak

tape leak

A suspected leak can be covered over with a tape . If a leak present then a fall of pressure will be observed.

Using thermal conductivity gauge as a leak detector (trace gas detection)

Carbon dioxide

Thermal conductivity gages

As the thermal conductivity varies for different gases, an apparent change in the pressure is seen when different gasses is directed over the leak Useful gas: Helium, Oxygen, Argon, CO2

Using Ionisation gauge and Ion pump as a leak detector

The ion gauge current and ion pump current dependent on the gas properties. Chang in the ion current can be seen by using different tape of gasses or liquids over the suspected leak. Useful safe gasses are: He, Co2, Ar Useful safe liquids are Aceton, isopropyle alchohol

Using Mass spectrometers as a leak detector

Mass spectrometers is a excellent leak detector.
leak Helium Leak Methods Sniffing Test (O) Mass spectrometer He

chamber He He source Mass spectrometer film

Helium Leak Methods Sniffing Test (I)

He
Chamber
ALCATEL

SIMS 180TD+

Leak rate
Leak rate is measured by standard cubic centimeter/sec (std. cc/sec). Although the leak rate in vacuum system is very low, but it is a big challenge in the vacuum techniques.

Leak rate of 1 x 10 std cc/sec

-1

Leak rate of 1 x 10-3 std cc/sec

Leak Rates over Time

LEAK RATES
10 -1 STD CC/SEC --- 1 CC/10 SEC 10 -3 STD CC/SEC --- 3 CC/HOUR 10 -5 STD CC/SEC --- 1 CC/DAY 10 -6 STD CC/SEC --- 1 CC/2 WEEKS 10 -7 STD CC/SEC --- 3 CC/YEAR 10 -9 STD CC/SEC --- 1 CC/30 YEARS

Permeation may occur <1X10-8 std cc/sec

Why Helium is used for leak detection

HELIUM
Helium is very light and small Low concentration in air (0.0005%) Permits dynamic testing Permits non-destructive testing Helium is safe

Why Helium?
Low Background (5-20 PPM) Inert F Safe Light Low Cost
H O Kr Ne Ar

?
N Xe

Cl

He

Why A Helium Leak Detector?

High Sensitivity Wide Range Reliable Quantitative Dynamic Testing
SIMS 180TD+

Helium Leak Testing: Vacuum Mode

The hard vacuum test procedure measures the packages increasing leak rate arising from all sources within the sample. This method enables the barrier performance of seals to be quantified.

Helium Test Methods Hard Vacuum Helium Pre-Filled Samples

1E-2 mbar

This method is good for vacuum equipments leak testing

180TD+

SIMS

Helium Leak Testing: Sniffer Mode

Individual packages containing helium can be checked for leaks using a pencil-sized vacuum collector (sniffer) attached to a helium leak detector. The rate of gas sampling (flow rate) is set at 1cc/second; enabling a (ambient pressure) leak rate to be measured in ppm, or in cc/second. The sniffer mode test procedure is site-specific in that the probe collects helium escaping within ~ 1/8 of the leak site.

Helium Leak Methods Sniffing Test

He
100% He
ALCATEL

SIMS 180TD+

This method is good for package`s leaks

Answer this question before taking any further actions for solving leak problems
1-Has the pressure in the system changes since yesterday? 2-can any section of the vacuum system be isolated? 3-Has the gauge calibration been checked? 4-Are there any vapors present? 5-Has a real leak been established even though not found? 6-Can you tolerate the leak that has been established? 7-Have you used some different type of cleaning material after the last exposure to the atmosphere? 8-Have you add to or modified the interior of the vacuum system? 9-Is there any evidence of an air leak from an RGA spectrum with peaks corresponding to masses 14, 28, 32?