Measurement of ultra low outgassing rates for NLC UHV vacuum chambers

Ultra low outgassing rates would be highly advantageous in accelerators and storage rings, such as the Next Linear Collider (NLC), where an outgassing rate of <10/sup -12/ Torr liter/sec/cm/sup 2/ could eliminate the need for costly distributed pumping. Measuring such low outgassing rates at room temperature has many difficulties. However, by inspection of Fick's law, it can be seen that thermal desorption is proportional to outgassing rate. It is commonly observed that the outgas rate doubles approximately every 15/spl deg/C for temperatures under 100/spl deg/C. By measuring outgassing rate versus temperature and time and extrapolating back to room temperature we can measure outgassing rates that would otherwise be difficult to make. To produce a reliable measurement also requires the total surface area under study to be approximately an order of magnitude greater than the area of the measurement chamber walls. To accomplish this, 27 plates of 5083 aluminum were placed in the measurement chamber. This technique will be the basis for future investigation of outgassing rates of other sample plates fabricated with different machining and cleaning techniques.