Direct Answer A vacuum feedthrough that is exposed to cryogenic temperatures must maintain hermeticity and, where applicable, electrical or signal performance across a temperature range that includes both the cryogenic operating temperature and any bakeout the system undergoes, since thermal contraction at low temperatures creates the same type of differential-expansion
Direct Answer Vacuum feedthroughs most commonly fail in one of three ways: the ceramic insulator cracks, the braze joint that bonds the ceramic to its metal shell develops a leak, or the electrical insulation breaks down under voltage stress. Each failure mode has distinct causes, distinct symptoms, and a distinct
Direct Answer Qualifying a UHV feedthrough means confirming, with documented evidence, that a specific component or configuration meets the vacuum, electrical, thermal, and mechanical requirements of its intended application before it is put into service. The documentation package that supports this can include a component-level helium leak-test report, material identification
Direct Answer Bakeout is the controlled heating of a vacuum chamber and its components to accelerate the release of adsorbed water and volatile contaminants, allowing a system to reach ultra-high vacuum (UHV) pressures in a practical timeframe. Bakeout also exposes every feedthrough on the chamber to thermal stress from ramp-up,
Direct Answer A thermocouple feedthrough carries thermocouple wire pairs through a vacuum chamber wall while preserving the thermoelectric characteristics of the specific thermocouple type being used, so that the measurement made outside the chamber accurately reflects the temperature inside it. The feedthrough must use conductor materials matched to the thermocouple
Direct Answer Outgassing is the release of gases from the surfaces and bulk of materials inside a vacuum system. After bakeout, hydrogen diffusing out of the bulk of stainless steel and other metals typically becomes the dominant residual gas and the practical limit on base pressure. In ultra-high vacuum (UHV)
Direct Answer High-voltage vacuum feedthroughs typically fail through arcing or insulation breakdown, driven by insufficient creepage or clearance distance for the actual voltage and environment on either the vacuum or atmosphere side, contamination or moisture on the insulating surface, damage to the ceramic, voltage applied while the chamber is at
Direct Answer Selecting an electrical feedthrough for a UHV system requires matching the electrical load (voltage, current, frequency, and signal type), the insulation and shielding requirement, the mechanical and flange interface, and the thermal profile (bakeout and operating temperature) to a design that has been qualified for that combination. A
Direct Answer A ceramic-to-metal seal joins a ceramic insulator, most commonly alumina, to a metal shell using a brazed joint, creating a hermetic boundary that also provides electrical isolation. This construction is widely used in vacuum feedthroughs because it can offer a useful combination of vacuum integrity, electrical insulation, and
Most people assume a vacuum is created by simply pulling the air out. That is partly correct – but the engineering behind it is more interesting than it sounds, and the method you use depends entirely on how deep a vacuum you need. Creating a rough vacuum is straightforward. A
How Vacuum Systems Pass Power, Fluid, Signals, and Motion Without Breaking the Seal A vacuum chamber is designed to keep the outside world out. But a useful vacuum system still has to do real work inside that sealed environment. That means engineers need a way to pass electricity, signals, light,
How Vacuum Engineering Powers the Technologies That Shape Our World There is a category of engineering that makes nearly everything we consider technologically advanced possible – and receives almost none of the credit for it. It does not have a flashy name. It does not generate breathless headlines. When a
People use the word “vacuum” as if it describes a single condition. It does not. Vacuum exists on a spectrum – a very wide one – and the difference between one end and the other is not a matter of degree. It is a matter of the physics involved, the
Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) refers to a pressure regime at or below approximately 10⁻⁹ torr (~1.3×10⁻⁹ mbar). At these pressures, gas-surface interactions and trace leak paths dominate system behavior more than bulk gas flow does. UHV is used in semiconductor manufacturing, surface science, synchrotron beamlines, electron microscopy, quantum and cryogenic platforms,
ConFlat (CF) flanges use a copper gasket that is cold-welded between two stainless steel knife edges, creating a true metal-to-metal hermetic seal capable of achieving system pressures below 10⁻¹² torr and helium leak rates of 10⁻¹³ torr·L/s or better. KF (Klein Flange, also called NW or ISO-KF) flanges use an
Direct Answer Choose CF flanges when your system must reach pressures at or below 10⁻⁷ torr, requires bakeout above 150°C, or must meet a helium leak-rate specification at or below 1×10⁻⁹ atm·cc/sec. Choose KF flanges for rough vacuum, high vacuum up to about 10⁻⁷ torr, and any connection that benefits
Semiconductor process tools – including PVD, ALD, CVD, ion implantation, and advanced etch systems – use UHV or near-UHV conditions to minimize surface contamination and improve film purity. Hermetic feedthroughs carry electrical power, RF signals, thermocouples, and motion actuators through chamber walls without introducing leak paths. Selecting feedthroughs with the
Each year, the annual conference hosted by the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) brings together thousands of scientists, engineers, and technology companies working at the forefront of analytical instrumentation. MPF Products is excited to be returning this year to exhibit at the 74th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics.
Blue Ridge Optics, a division of MPF Products, Inc., is excited to announce a significant expansion of their coating capabilities with the addition of state-of-the-art Ion Beam Sputtered (IBS) coatings. This advancement complements their established expertise in electron-beam evaporation. Now, Blue Ridge Optics offers an even broader range of solutions
When Hurricane Helene hit, it brought significant challenges to our region. MPF faced a massive obstacle as power and regional internet service was knocked out with no idea of when it would be coming back. Just north of MPF in NC, the area was completed devasted. But in true MPF
Copper conductors, commonly used in various industries, can sometimes get bent during shipping due to sudden impacts or rough handling. Since the copper is annealed and very soft after brazing, it’s particularly susceptible to bending even with protective fixtures around the weld adapter. While this may look concerning, it’s easy
MPF’s Remarkable Journey Culminates in an Expanded Manufacturing Facility On October 10, 2023, MPF celebrated a historic groundbreaking ceremony at their Gray Court, South Carolina location. This event marked the beginning of construction for a two-story structure covering an impressive 6,000 to 7,000 square feet, an addition to the already
The MPF Purchase Order Process is a streamlined and efficient way to get your orders processed and delivered. The process begins with the MPF Sales Team carefully reviewing your purchase order and assigning a new MPF Part Number. The Contract Review Team then uploads all essential order details into the
MPF Products recently installed a new 1,000 sq ft. state-of-the-art ISO Cleanroom featuring ISO Class 8, Class 7, and Class 5 sections used to ensure the highest quality super polished, low absorption optics and high-power coatings available. What Is A Cleanroom? Cleanrooms are controlled environments where airborne pollutants like dust,
Introduction In 1905, Albert Einstein wrote what has been described as “the most revolutionary sentence written by a physicist of the 20th century.” According to the assumption to be contemplated here, when a light ray is spreading from a point, the energy is not distributed continuously over ever-increasing spaces, but
Electrical Feedthroughs for Your UHV Electrical feedthroughs (or high-powered feedthroughs) transmit voltage or current into your high or ultra high vacuum environment. They are necessary for a number of scientific—we’re looking at you SpaceX!— and industrial applications. But when you need electrical feedthroughs for your UHV, how do you know
Do You Need More KVs in Your High Voltage Feedthrough? When MPF opened its doors in 1994, those of us in the ultra high vacuum (UHV) industry were lucky if we could deliver more than 5 KVs into a chamber. As we’re sure you’re aware, KVs stand for “kilovolts.” One
Why You Need a Ceramic to Metal Feedthrough for Your Vacuum Assembly Ceramic to Metal Sealing: The World’s Most Hermetic Seal With all due respect to the good folks at J-B Weld, we at MPF are more than a little dubious that their glue offers “The World’s Strongest Bond.” Sure,
For the past 27 years, MPF has been pushing the envelope, innovating and refining our manufacturing processes to better serve our clients. “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.”-Goethe “He not busy being born is busy
When you’re “shopping” for components for your UHV chamber, it’s important that you are able verify that the manufacturer of said components has the necessary quality control systems in place. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the most august and respected institution in devising quality management standards–along with environmental management
“It’s like I told you, I ordered these flanges and messed up our vacuum vessel. How was I supposed to know it would short out the system?” Did you know that when Niels Bohr was just a young Dane studying at the University of Copenhagen he nearly killed himself
Just because your isolator is unhappy does not mean they’re depressed. In fact, most isolators for vacuum chambers will be unhappy at certain times. Has your isolator for UHV recently experienced a major loss? For instance, did the vacuum chamber to which it was attached recently stop speaking to them? Knowing the
There are many theories as to how Alvin and the Chipmunks achieved their classic falsetto sound. Back in 1958, the trio of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore forever changed the course of pop music history: first with their hit “Witch Doctor,” and then, reaching for heights previously unimaginable, with their even
Previous Next In honor of the start of Summer, (and a record breaking month at MPF) yesterday our employees were able to let their guard down and enjoy a great time. Our afternoon consisted of amazing food (provided by Smoky Dreams Barbeque, as well as Christy’s famous mac
“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”
Celebrating Our 25th Anniversary in Business! Join us in celebrating MPF’s 25th anniversary producing ceramic-to-metal sealing technology for custom applications. MPF began producing proprietary ceramic-to-metal sealing technology for the Aerospace Industry in the mid-1990’s, and since then has become the leading manufacturer of electrical feedthroughs, UHV vacuum viewports, coaxial and
As Katrina and the Waves pointed out in their 1983 hit single, “Walking on Sunshine,” sunlight serves a number of important functions: we can, of course, “walk on it” when we’re in love (thanks Katrina!); it is source of Superman’s powers (the Kryptonian would be a just another Daily Planet
During this period of national crisis, we want to address our friends, colleagues, and clients in the scientific community. While vast swathes of the country have been on “lock down” in response to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, we are doing our part to prepare for the latter stages
When Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in chess in 1996, the world took notice. Far be it for us to tell you not to be impressed by computers that outperform humans. But what about a computer that could not only beat a human at chess, but rather solve the game
Fused silica viewports are the gold standard in the manufacture of lenses and optics for the transmission of ultraviolet (UV) rays. Although fused silica is often employed as a synonym for fused quartz, the difference between the two is critical: the fused silica viewports that MPF offers are made from
Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown in Back to the Future (1985), © UNIVERSAL Pictures If you need to connect two vacuum chambers, MPF offers flanges of various diameters with both fixed and rotatable bolt-holes. The most popular flange for achieving a high or ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is the Conflat® (CF)
Electricity is the flow of electrons from higher-voltage potential to lower-voltage potential. Passing through the atmosphere, electrical failure occurs when the voltage exceeds the dielectric strength of air, which happens to be a mere 3kV/mm. Air is a poor conductor of electricity, which is why MPF constructs a variety of
Welcome to the MPF Blog! Several members of the MPF team will be posting on a regular basis about UHV Viewports, Electrical Feedthroughs as it pertains to Ultra-High Vacuum Systems. We will also blog about new products, recently completed projects, and other useful information. Summer is HOT and our Blogs