VPM-7 SMARTPIRANI™ ATM LOAD LOCK APPLICATIONS 

The SmartPirani™ ATM transducer is designed for pressure measurement and control in vacuum applications that requires wide range measurement from atmosphere to high vacuum in combination with accurate control of gas backfill of the vacuum system to atmospheric pressure.

The multi-sensor design is an all-in-on solution that eliminates the need for separate atmospheric switches to control safe venting of the vacuum chamber to atmospheric pressure.

Semiconductor load-lock

The SmartPirani™ ATM combines wide range vacuum pressure measurement and pressure measurement relative to atmospheric pressure required to operate a modern load lock in semiconductor process equipment.

Analytical equipment

Mass spectrometers and scanning electron microscopes are types of analytical equipment that use vacuum gauges to determine safe operation of an ion source.

In certain applications, the ultra-wide range of the SmartPirani™ eliminates the need for expensive high vacuum ionization gauges like hot cathode ionization gauge or cold cathode ionization gauges. 

Physical vapor deposition

Coating of materials by use of physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes is used in many diverse industries including solar, medical, automotive, tooling, optics and packaging. The devices to be coated has to be transferred from atmospheric pressure to the vacuum chamber and consequently the vacuum chamber must be cycled to atmospheric pressure.

In metal deposition applications the sputtering process often results in particulate contamination of vacuum equipment. Such particulates will damage vacuum gauges, which impacts measurement performance or reduces the gauge’s life-time.

The SmartPirani™ ATM is available with a user-cleanable integrated particulate baffle system specially designed for PVD applications. The baffle system is designed for blocking particulates while ensuring sufficiently high vacuum gas conductance and preventing clogging of particulates. The innovative baffle feature can increase time between service intervals and increase equipment up-time. 

Move to next-generation vacuum transducers for load lock vacuum control

The SmartPirani™ ATM transducer offers plug-and-play compatibility with vacuum transducers and transmitters from other vendors.

The SmartPirani™ ATM transducer is available with pin compatibility, analog voltage pressure signal emulation and digital protocol emulation. The emulation features make quick, seamless retrofitting and upgrading of traditional wire Pirani transducers, convection gauges and legacy MEMS micro-Pirani transducers possible and allows moving to next-generation vacuum transducers without change of cabling and system equipment software.

The SmartPirani™ ATM transducer will in many applications provide both cost reduction and enhanced measurement performance when replacing legacy vacuum gauges and load-lock transducers.