ion pump
Enable an agent to recognise a sputter ion vacuum pump, assess its pumping condition, and determine whether installation, energisation, continued operation or servicing is justified.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 16 findings · 28 questions
Discharge and capture Establish how the device ionises residual gas and retains it.
Discharge cell
Identify the electrode and magnetic arrangement responsible for discharge.
Electrode configuration
Record the configuration and evidence connecting its components to ion pumping.
- Which electrode geometry, materials and magnetic arrangement identify this as a sputter ion pump? definition
- Which drawing or technical manual establishes the configuration and voltage polarity? provenance
Gas retention
Separate gas capture mechanisms and any combined pumping technologies.
Capture pathways
Record which internal surfaces and mechanisms account for removal of each relevant gas.
- How are reactive gases, hydrogen and noble gases retained in this configuration? definition
- Does the assembly include a separate sublimation or non-evaporable getter stage whose performance must be attributed separately? boundary
Gas load and performance Relate gas composition, pressure and conductance to achievable pumping.
Species-dependent speed
Capture performance curves with their measurement basis.
Qualified speed
Require gas identity and pressure conditions for every pumping-speed claim.
- What pumping-speed curves are available for the expected gases, and over which pressure intervals? measurement
- Which test method, conditioning history and measurement location support those curves? provenance
Installed vacuum performance
Relate pump capability to the connected chamber and gas burden.
Effective speed and target
Distinguish inlet performance from the pressure achievable at the point of use.
- What effective speed reaches the chamber after accounting for connecting-port and valve conductance? measurement
- Can the documented gas load and composition meet the required pressure, or is complementary pumping needed? action
Energisation and diagnostics Define supported transitions into pumping and interpretation of electrical observations.
Start and control
Record controller matching, starting prerequisites and trip behaviour.
Permitted state transitions
Tie energisation and restart decisions to pressure, electrical limits and controller evidence.
- What independently verified pressure and auxiliary-pumping conditions permit starting? action
- Which controller voltage, polarity, current limits and trip conditions apply to this pump? provenance
Pressure observability
Assess whether discharge-current readings represent the vacuum condition.
Current-pressure interpretation
Record calibration applicability, independent comparison and unexplained current.
- Which gas, voltage and pump configuration does the current-to-pressure calibration assume? measurement
- What independent gauge evidence distinguishes a real pressure increase from leakage current or an electrical fault? measurement
Installation and protection Establish vacuum, magnetic, thermal and high-voltage compatibility.
Vacuum and magnetic fit
Record mounting interfaces, cleanliness requirements and magnetic constraints.
Installation compatibility
Assess the physical connection and its interaction with nearby apparatus.
- Which flange, seal, orientation, support and cleanliness requirements govern installation? action
- What magnetic-field limits and separation distances apply to nearby instruments and to the pump itself? measurement
Electrical and thermal permissions
Connect high-voltage and bakeout actions to verified protection requirements.
Protected operation
Record the evidence required before energising, heating or accessing the pump.
- Which grounding, connector, interlock and electrical-isolation checks are required by the applicable pump and controller manuals? action
- What operating and bakeout temperatures are permitted with the magnets, cable and connector installed? measurement
- Which standards, issuing bodies and declarations cover this pump-controller assembly, and what configurations do they cover? provenance
Retained gas and service Assess accumulated exposure, degradation and justified recovery actions.
Exposure and degradation
Connect gas history and observed symptoms to condition assessment.
Degradation evidence
Separate possible gas-loading, electrode and insulation problems from confirmed diagnoses.
- What evidence records gas throughput, venting, contamination and cathode wear? provenance
- Which observations discriminate noble-gas instability, exhausted capture performance, internal shorts and feedthrough leakage? measurement
Recovery and retirement
Determine which interventions are supported and what proves recovery.
Service disposition
Tie bakeout, repair, replacement and disposal to documented condition and retained contents.
- Which manufacturer-supported criteria select bakeout, specialist reconditioning, element replacement or complete replacement? action
- What post-service measurements demonstrate acceptable pumping and electrical condition before return to use? measurement
- Does the retained-gas or contamination history impose handling or disposal requirements? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of ion pump this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of ion pump this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of ion pump this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of ion pump this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of ion pump this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of ion pump this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
What it is Filled
An ion pump, in the vacuum-engineering sense, is a capture pump that uses a magnetically confined electrical discharge to ionize residual gas and immobilize it through implantation and chemical binding in electrode materials and sputtered films.
In scope
- Discharge cells, electrodes, getter material and magnetic arrangement
- Gas-dependent pumping performance and retained-gas capacity
- Starting conditions, electrical supply compatibility and operating states
- Interpretation of discharge current and independent vacuum measurements
- Vacuum interfaces, bakeout constraints, degradation and service eligibility
Out of scope
- Biological membrane ion pumps and electrochemical ion transport
- Complete vacuum chambers and their experimental processes
- Roughing and turbomolecular pumps used to establish starting vacuum
- Standalone vacuum gauges and residual gas analysers
- Standalone titanium sublimation and non-evaporable getter pumps
- Commercial product catalogues and individual asset histories
Why it exists Filled
Enable an agent to recognise a sputter ion vacuum pump, assess its pumping condition, and determine whether installation, energisation, continued operation or servicing is justified.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Removes gas through ionisation, sputtering and capture on internal surfaces; it retains gas instead of conveying it to an atmospheric exhaust. [Agilent technical notes](https://www.agilent.com/cs/library/catalogs/public/catalog-ion-pumps-5994-6595en-agilent.pdf)
- Uses an electrically driven discharge with a magnetic arrangement rather than a rotating gas-transfer mechanism.
- Renews getter surfaces by ion bombardment rather than relying solely on thermal sublimation or getter activation.
- Its intended function is sustained vacuum pumping; a cold-cathode gauge may share discharge physics but is primarily a measuring instrument.
- Acts on residual gas in a vacuum enclosure rather than transporting dissolved ions across a membrane.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Open, service or disconnect an ion pump before high voltage is switched off and verified.
- Bring ferromagnetic tools or magnetic-sensitive devices near the pump magnets without care.
- Vent a vacuum system containing an ion pump without following the operator's procedure.
- Dispose of pump elements that may hold toxic or radioactive residues without proper handling.
Only with a human decision
- Venting or servicing a vacuum system that other experiments depend on.
May
- Monitor ion pump current, pressure readings and faults on vacuum systems it is authorized to operate.
- Schedule maintenance and bakeout requested by the system operator.
Moral aspects Filled
- Shared vacuum facilities serve many researchers whose work can be ruined by one mistake.
- Maintenance staff face electrical and magnetic hazards.
Who is affected
- Maintenance staff
- Facility users
Owners Filled
Steward
The operator of the vacuum system.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q745837 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.ion-pump-q1672063
- Wikidata: Q1672063 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1672063)
Direct properties required Filled
- Electrode configuration: Diode, noble diode, triode or documented manufacturer configuration
- Pumping speed by gas and pressure: L/s, with gas species, inlet pressure in Pa and test conditions
- Starting and operating pressure limits: Pa; separately identify starting, continuous-operation and shutdown thresholds
- Discharge voltage and current: kV and mA, including polarity, limits and operating mode
- Operating condition: Isolated, preparing vacuum, starting, pumping, tripped, cooling, service-required or unknown
- Current-derived pressure validity: Corroborated, uncorroborated, leakage-suspected, outside calibration or unavailable
- Gas exposure and remaining capacity evidence: Integrated gas load in Pa·m³ by species where known; otherwise explicitly unknown
- Thermal envelope: °C for operation and bakeout, with installed-component conditions
- Vacuum and electrical interfaces: Flange and seal specification, controller, high-voltage cable, feedthrough and protective earth
- Installation envelope: Dimensions and clearances in mm, mass in kg, stray magnetic field in mT at stated distances
Recognition required Filled
- A metal body attached to a vacuum chamber with a flange, flanked by strong permanent magnets.
- A high-voltage feedthrough and cable connected to a controller.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Match an electrode configuration to the expected gas mixture and vacuum target.
- Estimate effective pumping speed at the chamber using inlet conductance and documented pump curves.
- Determine whether starting prerequisites and controller compatibility are satisfied.
- Compare pump-current trends with independent pressure evidence to identify suspect readings.
- Identify conditions requiring shutdown, investigation or continued auxiliary pumping.
- Prepare a manufacturer-supported bakeout, inspection or replacement decision.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Electric shock from the high-voltage supply.
- Strong magnets pinching fingers or attracting tools.
- Release of trapped gas when elements are disturbed or heated.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- ISO 21360-1, issued by the International Organization for Standardization, sets general methods for measuring vacuum pump performance relevant to ion pump characterization.
- IEC 61010-1, issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission, provides electrical safety requirements applicable to ion pump controllers within its measurement, control and laboratory equipment scope.
Context of use required Filled
- Sputter ion pumps maintain high and ultrahigh vacuum in equipment such as particle accelerators, surface analysis instruments and electron microscopes.
- They are used where low vibration and the absence of oil-based pumping fluids are valuable, generally after another pump has established a suitable starting vacuum.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q1672063: ion pump - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Ion pump - general description of the item
Open questions
- Which authoritative taxonomy best maps diode, noble diode, triode and proprietary configurations without creating duplicate registry concepts?
- Which gas-specific performance curves and capacity measurements support representative ranges across configurations?
- Which standards and issuing bodies govern pumping-speed measurement and electrical safety for the relevant pump-controller assemblies?
- How reliably can operating history and diagnostics estimate remaining capture capacity or electrode life?
- Which starting pressures, bakeout limits and recovery procedures are supported for each configuration rather than assumed universal?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1672063/spec.json