4: UHV and Effects of Gas Pressure
- Page ID
- 25351
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
- 4.1: What is UltraHigh Vacuum?
- Vacuum technology has advanced considerably over the last 25 years and very low pressures are now routinely obtainable. While the mbar is often used as a unit of pressure for describing the level of vacuum, the most commonly employed unit is still the Torr (the SI unit, the Pa, is almost never used). Classification of the degree of vacuum is hardly an exact science - it much depends upon who you are talking to.
- 4.2: Why is UHV required for surface studies ?
- Ultra high vacuum is required for most surface science experiments for two principal reasons : (1) To enable atomically clean surfaces to be prepared for study, and such surfaces to be maintained in a contamination-free state for the duration of the experiment. (2) To permit the use of low energy electron and ion-based experimental techniques without undue interference from gas phase scattering.