How to choose a cryogenic vacuum pump
A cryopump freezes gas onto cold surfaces. A closed-cycle helium refrigerator holds a first stage near 80 K, which condenses water and hydrocarbons on a radiation shield and louvre, and a second stage near 15 K, which condenses nitrogen, oxygen and argon on an array and adsorbs hydrogen, helium and neon in charcoal bonded to it. Nothing is transferred out of the chamber, so pumping speed for water is enormous — which is exactly what high-vacuum process chambers need.
Specify pumping speed per gas, not a single figure: water, nitrogen, argon and hydrogen speeds differ by large factors and your process decides which one matters. Then check capacity (how much gas the pump holds before regeneration), maximum throughput, crossover pressure, cool-down time, and the regeneration cycle — how often, how long, and whether it can be run unattended. Match the compressor, helium lines and inlet flange as a set.
Typical duties: sputtering and evaporation coaters, ion implanters, semiconductor process chambers, electron microscopy and space simulation. Cryopumps are usually the right answer when water vapour dominates the gas load and the chamber is cycled frequently.
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FAQ
What does a cryopump actually pump, and what does it not?
It condenses water and most gases on its cold arrays and adsorbs hydrogen, helium and neon on the charcoal panel. It does not pump helium indefinitely — the charcoal saturates — and it cannot be used against a rough vacuum. Water is its strongest suit, which is why coating and implant tools use it.
How often does a cryopump need regeneration?
When the condensed load starts to limit performance — in practice, when pump-down time lengthens or the first-stage temperature rises. Process load decides the interval: a wet coating chamber may need weekly regeneration, a clean UHV system a few times a year.
What supporting equipment does a cryopump need?
A helium compressor with supply and return lines, cooling water for the compressor, a roughing pump to reach the cryopump's start pressure, and an isolation valve. The compressor is a maintenance item in its own right — adsorber and oil changes on schedule.
Do you supply cold heads, compressors and spare parts?
Yes — cold heads, helium compressors, adsorbers, displacer and seal kits, and motor repair kits for the common CTI and Sumitomo families, plus our own CRYO-P series pumps. Send the pump and compressor model together, since the pairing matters.