RGA Residual Gas Analyzer (Mass Spectrometer) Experiments and Helium Leak Checking

High vacuum troubleshooting with an Inficon Transpector quadrupole mass spectrometer
sam.zeloof.xyz

[@workingraveyard]

Add and iso valve between RGA and chamber to keep RGA at partial vacuum for when not used. Keeps quadrapole clean

[@glennvandaele7998]

Amazing videos! Really great to see some out of the box content.

[@StephenBecker]

Love it! I use quadrupoles at work all the time. I've been thinking of picking up an old used one to play around at home with stuff. If you get one old enough, it'll have a hardware control box with an external analog interface port that allows you to drive it yourself.

[@SamZeloof]

Wow! fun stuff

[@joaolucasferreira8248]

Amazing your video! I'm starting work with vacuum and it helped me! I'm from Brazil and I'm intern in LNLS - CNPEM

[@stevensesselmann9281]

Thanks for the excellent explainer on the RGA.

[@GodlikeIridium]

Very cool and interesting video. Those RCAs look super useful for any high vacuum application. And pretty small, compared to the MS of a GC-MS, which is pretty much the same. Just a bit more complicated with controlled temperatures, two filaments in a specialized ion source etc. The leak detection tool seems fun xD What mass range does your RGA (Or RGAs in general) detect? 1 to 100 Da at a 1Da resolution, or does it go higher? And btw your channel is amazing! Glad i found it.

[@iride1999]

Hey Sam, I have one question, I'm currently working on a high vacuum system for a college project it has an inficon RGA like yours, I have a problem with it though and I'm wondering if you'd know what the problem is. I have found a leak in my system and after spraying helium on the leak the RGA doesn't detect any helium but it does sense an increase in pressure. I have never come across anything like this any ideas what it could be?

[@Daedronus]

how much diffusion do you get trough that huge viton o ring on top of the chamber? Do you get a positive reading if you helium leack check it?

[@jafinch78]

Interesting. You do have a MS and I wasn't sure with the semi-conductor industry the unique implementations. Thanks for sharing. What software are you using? Does the RGA software have a feature to determine entities? Like a peak picking auto correlation or like a library or database feature to associate with? I'm only familiar with the baths and NIR and quality.

[@SamZeloof]

I also recently put an EDS system on my SEM: sam.zeloof.xyz/eds/ The software for the RGA was provided by Inficon. I don't think it has this functionality however.

[@lutronc4412]

FYI we call water sticky in the semi industry. We use a water pump and Turbo pump to trap water before going into the TMP. What industry are you in now and are you looking for work, location? Fun video on RGA.

[@mariamourkou9789]

Hi Sam, thanks for this video! I have recently started to work with an UHV system and I found your video very helpful. I have a question though. I have noticed an increase in the chamber's pressure after opening the RGA. Does this normally happen with using RGA or is there a way of fixing this, perhaps by adding additional components/seals?

[@IDoNotLikeHandlesOnYT]

When you say "after opening the RGA", do you mean you have it behind an isolation valve like @workingraveyard recommends? And you notice the pressure increase on a different vacuum gauge? I'd think that's just because the RGA isn't staying at the full vacuum while isolated, and the gas in it escapes into the chamber when you open the valve. As a workaround, try opening it earlier during pumpdown (when the chamber matches its pressure), and check the RGA itself and its fittings and valve for leaks. Disclaimer: I have literally zero experience with any of this stuff. And I'm 2 years late, so you've probably already fixed it, but maybe this can help somebody else.

[@kentvandervelden]

Very interesting! The software shows "Ocean Optics Omni" under the sensor protocols. Is an Ocean Optics component used in the instrument? Maybe the OOO protocol a common language for non-Ocean Optics spectrometers, simplifying software?

[@SamZeloof]

I have no clue! Nice catch. I don't think there is an ocean optics device in the rga though. I do have an ocean optics UV-VIS spectrometer, maybe I can interface it...

[@Floodedaquatics]

so cool, thank you for this video. For what im used to youre hitting extremely deep vacuum levels. This RGA video may lead to me getting one. can they handle volatile vapor loads from distillations?

[@SamZeloof]

+dag gooder I don’t think that would be a problem, but I’m not sure

[@StephenBecker]

You wouldn't want to pipe the vapor straight in. However if you put a leak valve (or even just a leaky fitting connection like the one Sam demonstrated in this video) in the vicinity of your vapor stream, it should work fine.

[@Spirit532]

At these pressures you could start thinking about doing anti-reflective coatings for optics. That's something that has never been done at home or in a garage, as far as I'm aware.

[@SamZeloof]

Not a big deal, sputtering is a good option. could be done at much higher pressures ~100mtorr

[@Spirit532]

Sputtering is an option, but the problem is getting the coating thickness *and* distribution right - usually, the coatings are non-uniform by radius, as well as layers. I'd attempt this but I have no space for a vacuum setup.

[@SamZeloof]

You can rotate the substrate during deposition to improve uniformity

[@Spirit532]

I actually didn't think of that, not a bad solution.

[@abdessamedghettas7167]

Thanks

[@setha6096]

What is a bake out? Is that where you heat the sides to vaporize the water?

[@SamZeloof]

Yes, speeds up outgassing in the chamber so you ca reach better pressures

[@iankrase8061]

You heat the chamber from about boiling to maybe twice boiling for several hours, while under vacuum. Make sure not to melt any o-rings.

[@Eric-ss5ip]

And I'm sitting here with an hacked together Leybold MS just for leak detection from BESSY out of 1970.

[@Heleox]

It seems like you are very close to a cvd/pvd setup.

[@GTS00000]

Have only one question for you mate: How much did you pay for this beauty?

[@SamZeloof]

+GTS you can find them on eBay for a couple hundred $ or less :)

[@GTS00000]

Good stuff, keep up the good posting :)

[@iankrase8061]

@@SamZeloof Seems like usually they have separated the electronics box from the probe. Can you really just put any electronics box with any probe (from the same RGA model, obviously)?

[@douro20]

How old is that Balzers turbo?

[@SamZeloof]

very

[@setha6096]

Make a shop tour video.

[@lutronc4412]

Do you have any cryo pumps? Ill sell you some. ;)

[@douro20]

I knew they made lots of FTIR instruments (including a refrigerant leak detector using the technology) but nothing like this.

[@iankrase8061]

This isn't FTIR.