Frequently Asked Questions About Your Ultra High Vacuum System

No. Viewports require specific cleaning procedures based on viewport type. Use MPF's UHV viewport cleaning guidance rather than soap and water.

No. During low-vacuum pump down, the system can pass through a glow-discharge region with an ionized environment. Applying voltage during this phase can create an electrical short.

Yes. MPF provides information about its testing and quality-control capabilities, including pressure testing, magnetic permeability testing, and related equipment.

Yes. MPF carries ISO 9001:2015 certification, meaning its vacuum vessel component manufacturing processes meet stringent quality-management standards.

MPF uses a helium leak detector to test for leaks at less than 1 x 10^-9 atm cc/sec. Verification up to 1 x 10^-10 may also be available by request.

Vacuum is measured as pressure below atmospheric pressure. Common units include Torr, millibar, pascal, and inches of mercury, depending on the application and instrument. Gauge selection depends on the pressure range: capacitance manometers, Pirani gauges, cold-cathode gauges, and hot-cathode ionization gauges each operate over different portions of the vacuum range.

The helium leak test sniffer method is a leak-location technique in which helium is introduced into a pressurized test part and a probe connected to a helium leak detector is moved around external joints, seals, and potential leak paths. A rising helium signal helps identify the approximate location of a leak. The method is useful for troubleshooting, while the appropriate test setup depends on the component geometry and acceptance criteria.

Technical ceramics are used in electronics for electrical insulation, thermal management, high-voltage isolation, semiconductor processing, sensors, and hermetic packaging. Materials such as alumina and aluminum nitride are selected for their balance of dielectric properties, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and temperature resistance.

Sintered describes a ceramic that has been heated so its particles bond together into a dense, strong structure without fully melting the material. Sintering affects density, porosity, mechanical strength, electrical properties, and dimensional stability. For vacuum components, a properly sintered ceramic is important because excessive porosity can increase outgassing and reduce seal reliability.

The coefficient of thermal expansion describes how much a material changes size as temperature changes. In ceramic-to-metal assemblies, the ceramic and metal must have compatible expansion behavior to manage stress during brazing, bakeout, and thermal cycling. Material selection and component geometry are therefore important to the long-term reliability of a hermetic seal.

Aluminum nitride, AlN, is a technical ceramic valued for high thermal conductivity combined with electrical insulation. It is often considered for applications that must transfer heat away from electronic components while maintaining electrical isolation. The best material choice depends on the operating temperature, required dielectric performance, mechanical loading, environment, and compatibility with the overall assembly.

Yes. MPF can attach custom parts to both standard and specialty assemblies, including custom flanges, mounts, and plates.

Mounting options include ISO, KF/QF, wire-seal, ASA/ANSI, and JIS flanges for ultra-high-vacuum chambers.

Yes. MPF technical specialists help customers design custom UHV systems, custom components, and bespoke ultra-high-vacuum assemblies. MPF also provides quotes for custom UHV components and systems.

Select a high-voltage feedthrough by confirming the operating voltage, current, frequency, vacuum level, temperature, available mounting space, and required creepage and clearance distances. The external environment also matters: reduced ambient pressure can lower air dielectric strength and increase arcing risk, so the ceramic length and insulation design must be appropriate for the installation conditions.

MPF uses ceramic-to-metal sealing technology for high-vacuum assemblies and verifies hermetic performance through helium leak detection.

Ceramic-to-metal sealing provides mechanical strength and electrical insulation in harsh environments and extreme temperatures.

Standard MPF electric isolators, also known as high-voltage breaks, provide voltage standoff from 5KV to 60KV. Custom isolators can be manufactured for applications requiring up to 225,000 volts of standoff.

Each UHV isolator is built as a metal adapter hermetically bonded to alumina ceramic for voltage standoff at each end.

Ultra-high-vacuum systems are used in surface science, semiconductor and thin-film processing, particle accelerators, nuclear power systems, research instrumentation, space simulation, manufacturing, and other applications where contamination and residual gases must be minimized. Component selection is driven by pressure targets, bakeout temperature, process media, electrical and optical requirements, and the need to maintain reliable seals over time.

High-vacuum fittings are components used to join vacuum chambers, pumps, valves, gauges, and accessories while maintaining a reliable vacuum seal. Common connection families include KF/QF, ISO, and CF flanges. The appropriate fitting depends on vacuum range, temperature and bakeout requirements, seal material, flange size, access needs, and whether repeated assembly is required.

A fiber optic feedthrough passes an optical fiber through a vacuum or pressure boundary while preserving the seal and protecting the fiber from mechanical stress. It is used where light, laser energy, optical signals, or sensing signals must enter or leave a vacuum chamber. Critical design inputs include fiber type, connector style, optical loss, bend radius, bakeout temperature, and required leak-rate performance.

A hermetic feedthrough connector is an electrical connector that passes conductors through a pressure or vacuum boundary without allowing unacceptable gas or moisture ingress. It typically uses ceramic-to-metal or glass-to-metal sealing around the contacts and is selected according to voltage, current, pin count, temperature, flange style, and required leak-rate performance.

A thermocouple feedthrough carries thermocouple wires through a vacuum chamber wall so temperature can be measured inside the system without compromising the vacuum boundary. Selection depends on the thermocouple type, number of circuits, temperature range, flange or mounting configuration, electrical isolation requirements, and vacuum compatibility of all materials.

Alumina ceramic is a technical ceramic made primarily from aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃. It is widely used as an electrical insulator in vacuum components because it offers high dielectric strength, good mechanical strength, heat resistance, and compatibility with ceramic-to-metal sealing processes. Its specific properties vary with purity, density, geometry, and operating temperature.

An electrical feedthrough is a vacuum boundary component that carries electrical power or signals through a chamber wall while maintaining a sealed pressure boundary. In high-vacuum and ultra-high-vacuum systems, electrical feedthroughs commonly use ceramic-to-metal or glass-to-metal seals to electrically isolate conductors and limit gas leakage.

An electrical feedthrough is the sealed component installed through a vacuum wall, while a feedthrough connector describes the interface used to connect wiring or instrumentation on one or both sides of that barrier. A hermetic feedthrough connector combines both functions by providing electrical contacts through a vacuum-tight seal.

High vacuum, ultra-high vacuum, and extreme high vacuum describe progressively lower pressure ranges. UHV is generally below 1 × 10⁻⁹ Torr, while extreme high vacuum refers to still lower pressures and more demanding contamination control. The component design, surface preparation, materials, sealing method, pumping approach, and measurement equipment become more critical as the target pressure decreases.

MPF offers power feedthroughs across a wide voltage range, from 500 volts up to 100KV. These high-voltage feedthroughs are used in applications including healthcare and food safety, and are available in different configurations and ceramic lengths.

Ultra-high vacuum, or UHV, is generally considered a vacuum range below 1 × 10⁻⁹ Torr. Achieving and maintaining UHV requires low-outgassing materials, clean assembly practices, suitable metal seals, thorough pumping and bakeout procedures, and components designed to avoid trapped volumes and virtual leaks.

Vacuum deposition coating is a process used to deposit thin layers of material onto a surface in a controlled vacuum environment. Common methods include physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition. Vacuum-compatible feedthroughs, viewports, fittings, and seals may be needed to deliver power, signals, gases, cooling, or optical access to the coating chamber.

Suitable UHV materials are low outgassing, cleanable, and compatible with the system’s temperature and process environment. Common choices include 304 or 316L stainless steel, 6000 series aluminum, high-purity alumina ceramic, oxygen-free copper, fused silica, sapphire, and selected metal alloys. Material choice should also account for permeability, thermal expansion, brazing compatibility, and exposure to reactive gases.

MPF viewports use UV and EUV grade fused silica and sapphire. Available coating options include anti-reflection, ITO, high-reflective, dielectric, enhanced metal, partial reflector, low-loss, and low-absorption coatings.

Alumina is used in electrical feedthroughs because it electrically isolates conductors while providing mechanical strength and vacuum-compatible performance. Its thermal stability and ability to form durable ceramic-to-metal seals make it suitable for high-voltage, high-temperature, and UHV applications when the ceramic grade and assembly geometry are properly matched to the design requirements.

No. Online checkout cannot use a freight collect number. Contact Customer Service to place the order and provide freight collect details.

Create an account before ordering and upload your Tax Exemption Certificate. An MPF employee will review and approve the certificate, which may take up to 24 hours.

If a credit card will not process online, contact Customer Service for help placing the order.

Yes. Contact Customer Service to request a refund for the sales tax charge.

Yes, if the order has not already shipped. Contact Customer Service to request an upgraded shipping method. Additional shipping charges will apply.

Place the order, then contact Customer Service to let MPF know the certificate was uploaded. After approval, sales tax can be refunded to the card used for purchase.

Yes. MPF uses the Order Number to identify the order.

Yes. MPF vacuum vessel components can be purchased through the website and shipped worldwide.

Yes. MPF uses an F.O.B. Origin shipping arrangement. Once products are loaded onto the carrier at MPF's facility, responsibility and shipping risk transfer to the buyer.

Standard parts typically ship within a few weeks. Customers can request current lead-time information by email.