Edwards Group  Limited (NASDAQ: EVAC), a leading manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products and abatement systems and a global provider of related value-added services, is to supply the EXT75DX compound turbomolecular pump to Granville-Phillips® to form a part of their 835 Vacuum Quality Monitor (VQM™) Differential Pump System. The 835 VQM Differential Pump System (DPS) provides real-time information that can be used to optimize physical vapour deposition, ion implant, reactive ion etch and any vacuum dependent process, particularly in solar and semiconductor manufacturing, and also for vacuum system monitoring and diagnostics in a wide range of other vacuum processes in thin film coating, research and development, high energy physics or other applications where precise understanding of the vacuum environment is critical.

 

Edwards has been working with Granville-Phillips, part of Brooks Automation Inc, on their 835 VQM DPS, a diagnostic tool used to monitor the quality of the vacuum environment in a variety of vacuum systems.  A pressure differential between the vacuum chamber and the VQM gauge is achieved by limiting the conductance to the sensor using an orifice in the systems gate valve, and pumping the sensor with a turbopump. This enables the VQM DPS to monitor the vacuum quality of a system at pressures between 3 Torr and 5x10-9 Torr.

 

The key reasons that Granville-Phillips selected Edwards’ EXT75DX compound turbopump were its ultra clean ultra high vacuum performance, low vibration, high backing pressure tolerance, low power usage, and the compact size. 

 

Crucial to Granville-Phillips’ decision making process was that Edwards were able to supply a product that would be rugged and dependable, in line with their GUTS® (Guaranteed Up Time Support) program, to ensure reliable performance for their customers using this system.

 

David Steele, Market Sector Manager at Edwards, commented, “The VQM’s innovative design sets it apart from conventional gas analysis tools. Edwards is committed to supplying the highest quality vacuum system to Granville-Phillips with the right performance and the right price.”