High Vacuum Pumps / Turbomolecular Pump

There are various types of mechanical pumping systems that achieve high vacuums and provide years of reliability. However, to create extremely high vacuums in extreme temperature conditions, such as required in high energy physics, plasma or nanotech applications, a turbomolecular pump (or high vacuum pump) may be necessary. These types of high vacuum pumps achieve rotational speeds of up to 80,000 rpms, with total pressures lower than 1x10^-10 mbar and compression ratios of 1x10^11. Turbomolecular pumps are designed to be oil and contaminant-free, for over 250,000 operational hours. High vacuum pumps can be designed with specific uses in mind. For example, a turbomolecular pump designed for thin film deposition will be optimized for moving argon gas, which is typically used in this instance.