Ion pump (physics)

An ion getter pump is a vacuum pump that works by ionizing the residual gases in vacuum so that they can be adsorbed to special material on the walls of the pump, a process known as gettering. Thus, it is very different from a rotary pump or a turbomolecular pump because it does not have any moving parts. Ion pumps can operate in the range of 10⁻³ to 10⁻¹² torr.

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An ion getter pump acts similarly to a cold cathode ion gauge, allowing the residual gas pressure to be measured by determining the current through the pump.

Sources

• Hablanian, Marsbed. Gettering and Ion Pumping. High-Vacuum Technology: A Practical Guide (ISBN 082478197X).
• Sputter Ion Pumps. Paul Scherrer Institute.