Series 360, Granville-Phillips, Stabil-Ion, Ionization, Vacuum ...

4 Preparing the Stabil-Ion System for Operation
All conductors in, on, or around the vacuum system that are exposed to
potential high voltage electrical discharges must either be shielded at all
times to protect personnel or must be connected to earth ground at all times.
Compliance with the usual warning to connect the power cable only to a
properly grounded outlet is necessary but not sufficient for safe operation of
a vacuum system with this or any similar high voltage producing product.
Grounding this product does not and cannot guarantee that other
components of the vacuum system are all maintained at earth ground.
Finite Lifetime - After ten years of normal use or even non-use, the electrical
insulation in this product may become less effective at preventing electrical
shock. Under certain environmental conditions which are beyond the
manufacturer’s control, some insulation material may deteriorate sooner.
Therefore, periodically inspect all electrical insulation for cracks, crazing, or
other signs of deterioration. Do not use if the electrical insulation has
become unsafe.
Do not touch the Stabil-Ion Gauge during degas operation if the Guard is
removed. Serious burns can occur.
The 360 Stabil-Ion System employs electron bombardment (EB) degassing of gauge electrodes,
which is the most direct and efficient means to remove contaminants. High energy electrons striking
the anode heat the anode and help remove any foreign materials while the increased cathode
power cleans the cathode surface effectively. Of course, it is necessary to pump the contaminants
from the gauge during degas. A system pressure below 10 -5 Torr is required to accomplish this
effectively. Measurements below about 10 -8 Torr require degassing in the 10 -6 Torr range and again
as the system approaches the ultimate pressure.
Degas cannot be activated unless the Stabil-Ion Gauge pressure indication is below 5 x 10 -5 Torr
(6.6 x 10 -5 mbar, or 6.6 x 10 -3 Pa) in the High pressure range, or below 1.2 x 10 -6 Torr (1.6 x 10 -6
mbar, or 1.6 x 10 -4 Pa) in the Low pressure range. Degassing above this pressure is of little value and
may cause pressure bursts that can cause an electrical gas discharge which can couple high voltage
to the vacuum system hardware, shut down the Stabil-Ion Gauge, and in some cases cause
damage—or create a shock hazard unless the system is properly grounded.
Degas power may be turned on or off in
three ways:
■ Using the front panel degas
push-button.
■ Via the Remote Control input. See
Section 3.7 on page 3-9.
■ Using an RS-232 or IEEE 488
Computer Interface module. See
Section 4.12 on page 4-27 or Section
4.13 on page 4-31.
IG 8.56-7
A 9.43-3
B 5.67-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
IG1
O
O
IG2
O
DEGAS ON
O
O
Figure 4-3
Control Unit Front Panel Showing Degas Button.
4-6
Series 360 Stabil-Ion December, 2001