CUSTOM ULTRA-HIGH VACUUM (UHV) CHAMBERS, ASSEMBLIES AND CF FLANGES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH APPLICATIONS 

Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chambers are critical for scientific research, but their unique operating conditions require components that can withstand pressure differential and temperature changes. Materion has more than 50 years of experience fabricating a variety of UHV components including custom research chambers equipped with beryllium X-ray windows, actively-cooled window assemblies, and CF flange (ConFlat®) window assemblies. For high energy physics research, we also build long beam pipes (up to 7.8 meters so far) used in particle accelerators, synchrotrons, and collider research centers, as well as small precision components for advanced UHV applications.

We have fabricated UHV chambers to customers’ precise specifications for advanced laboratories around the world. Customers who work with our team of experts can count on extremely accurate layouts, intricate UHV chambers, built-in active water cooling lines, leak tight and bakeable components up to 450°C and large angle X-ray transmission. Our finished chamber assemblies undergo testing with a helium mass spectrometer leak detector calibrated to a sensitivity of 1x10^-9 atm-cc/sec.

Read more about our ultra-high vacuum chamber capabilities.

BERYLLIUM BEAM PIPES FOR HIGH ENERGY PARTICLE ACCELERATOR RESEARCH 

High-energy physics applications require advanced materials and components that provide consistency and stability—and there is no room for compromising on quality. We build beryllium beam pipes that are advancing particle physics research. With its low atomic mass and high transparency to sub-atomic particles, beryllium is unrivaled for high-energy physics and is a frequently used material for windows and chambers in X-ray equipment.

Our beryllium material and manufacturing capabilities offer many other advantages, including high heat capacity (melting point of 1,287°C), high thermal conductivity, a favorable coefficient of thermal expansion of 11.4 x 10^-6/cm/cm/°C, high strength but lightweight (1.85 g/cm³ density) and tight tolerances on roundness and straightness. 

We have partnered with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, commonly known as CERN. For over 30 years, CERN has relied on our experts to supply customized beryllium beam pipes, which are essential to transport the beamline through the particle accelerator and large-diameter UHV chambers. 

Read about the advantages of using beryllium for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). 

Beryllium Beam Pipe Dimensions 

• Beam pipes have been made from 25 mm to 8 meters (1 inch to 26 feet).
• Outside diameters have ranged from 12.5 to 600 mm (0.5 to 24 inches).
• Beam pipe thicknesses have ranged from 0.25 to 2.5 mm (0.01 to 0.1 inches).
• Larger and longer dimensions are available.

Read the product brief for more on our beam pipe capabilities.

Talk with an engineer or get more technical data for your next advanced research project.

CF FLANGE BERYLLIUM WINDOW ASSEMBLIES FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE APPLICATIONS

We also offer standard and custom beryllium X-ray windows to satisfy the most demanding industrial and scientific research applications. We specialize in CF flange-mounted diffusion bonded beryllium windows, beryllium X-ray windows and larger assemblies for UHV applications that require precision components.

Using an advanced diffusion bonding process to produce these UHV windows for research chambers, the beryllium windows are heated at temperatures well below the melting point, avoiding the structural damage that can occur from liquidus brazing. As a result, our CF flanges can obtain high temperature performance, without compromising beryllium strength. Diffusion bonded UHV beryllium windows are capable of sustaining bakeout temperatures up to 450°C. Our CF flanges are also leak tight to a helium mass spectrometer leak-rate of 1x10^-9 atm-cc/sec.

Flange diameters range from 1.33 inch (34 mm) up to 16.5 inch (419.1 mm) with foil thicknesses as small as 0.002 inch (0.05 mm). Beryllium foil is available in IF-1®, PF-60® and PS-200® grades.

PROCESS APPLICATIONS | X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) | Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) | Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) | Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TPD) | Atomic layer deposition (ALD) | Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) | Particle accelerator experiments

For more detailed information, read our CF flange mounted window assemblies data sheet.

Standard CF Flange Catalog 

We have a catalog of window designs based on standard size CF flanges and orders based on these designs will typically have shorter lead times due to reduced engineering requirements. 

Please see the table below to determine which flange best meets the needs of your application. After identifying the correct flange, you can request a quote by specifying part number, beryllium foil grade and foil thickness.

If standard sizes do not work for your application, our engineering staff can develop a custom CF flange assembly that meets your specifications. All critical beryllium processing, design engineering, and joining fabrication is performed in-house.

Contact Materion’s vacuum chamber experts for more details about our UHV and CF flange products.