An Ultrahigh Vacuum Surface Analysis Station constructed with Aluminum Alloy Materials

Abstract

A surface analysis station was designed and constructed to carry out a TEXTOR-Japan collaboration research plan on plasma wall interaction in TEXTOR tokamak. A large part of the vacuum vessel of the station was made of A6063 aluminum alloy and the vacuum system consists of a sputter ion pump with titanium getter, a turbomolecular pump and an oil rotary pump. Ultimate vacuum pressure less than 3×10^-7 Pa was achieved routinely after baked out at maximum temperature of 120°C for 15 hrs. For in-situ AES observation of sample surfaces, a CMA and an ion-etching gun are installed in the station. A total of 12 samples can be installed and each sample can be transferred to analysis position and plasma boundary by a manipulator and a transporter. The station was applied to investigate the wall surface due to in-situ carbon coating. In this paper an actual performance of the station is described, and some experimental data on AES observation are introduced. The problems necessary for technical improvement are pointed out and discussed.