IP Library › Granted Patent US 12687449
Granted Patent B2
US 12687449 · App. 18/266,251 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Device for leakage detection via mass spectrometry, having a three-stage turbomolecular pump and a booster pump

Inventors: Silvio Decker (Cologne, DE); Simon Mathioudakis (Cologne, DE)
Assignee: INFICON GMBH
G01M3/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687449
App. No.
18/266,251
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device for leak detection on a test specimen, comprising a mass spectrometer ( 12 ), an at least three-stage turbomolecular pump ( 14 ), the input stage ( 18 ) of which is connected to the mass spectrometer ( 12 ) and which has a first intermediate gas inlet arranged between the input pump stage and the intermediate pump stage ( 26 ) and a second intermediate gas inlet arranged between the intermediate pump stage ( 26 ) and the output pump stage ( 24 ), an at least two-stage booster pump, the input pump stage ( 46 ) of which can be connected to the test specimen to be examined and which has an intermediate gas outlet ( 54 ) arranged between the input pump stage ( 46 ) and the output pump stage ( 48 ) and a pre-vacuum pump ( 22 ) which is connected to the outlet ( 20 ) of the output pump stage ( 24 ) of the turbomolecular pump ( 14 ) and is configured to generate a pre-vacuum pressure of less than 50 mbar at the outlet ( 20 ) of the turbomolecular pump ( 14 ) and to evacuate it against atmospheric pressure, characterized in that the intermediate gas outlet ( 54 ) of the booster pump is connected in a gas-conducting manner to the first intermediate gas inlet ( 36 ) of the turbomolecular pump ( 14 ) via a first connecting branch ( 62 ), and in that the outlet of the output pump stage ( 48 ) of the booster pump is connected in a gas-conducting manner to the second intermediate gas inlet of the turbomolecular pump ( 14 ) via a second connecting branch ( 64 ).

Claims (19)

1 . A device for leak detection on a test specimen, comprising

a mass spectrometer,

an at least three-stage turbomolecular pump, comprising an input pump stage, intermediate pump stage and an output pump stage, the input pump stage of which is connected to the mass spectrometer and which has a first intermediate gas inlet arranged between the input pump stage and the intermediate pump stage and a second intermediate gas inlet arranged between the intermediate pump stage and the output pump stage,

an at least two-stage booster pump, comprising an input pump stage and an output pump stage, the input pump stage of which is connected to the test specimen to be examined and which has an intermediate gas outlet arranged between the input pump stage and the output pump stage of the booster pump, and

a pre-vacuum pump connected to an outlet of the output pump stage of the turbomolecular pump and configured to generate a pre-vacuum pressure of less than 50 mbar at the outlet of the turbomolecular pump and to evacuate it against atmospheric pressure,

wherein

the intermediate gas outlet of the booster pump is connected in a gas-conducting manner to the first intermediate gas inlet of the turbomolecular pump via a first connecting branch, and an outlet of the output pump stage of the booster pump is connected in a gas-conducting manner to the second intermediate gas inlet of the turbomolecular pump via a second connecting branch.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting branch and/or the second connecting branch has a separately controllable valve for closing the connecting branch.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the input pump stage of the booster pump is connected in a gas-conducting manner to the inlet of the pre-vacuum pump via a bypass branch, the bypass branch having a separately controllable valve for closing the bypass branch.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting branch and the second connecting branch are connected to each other in a gas-conducting manner by a bridge branch, wherein the bridge branch may have a separately controllable valve for closing the bridge branch.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the gas conduction path connecting the output of the output pump stage of the turbomolecular pump to the inlet of the pre-vacuum pump has a separately controllable valve for selectively closing the gas conduction path.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the input pump stage of the booster pump is a rotary vacuum pump.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the output pump stage of the booster pump is a molecular pump stage, in particular a Holweck stage.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the booster pump is a two-stage vacuum pump.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the input pump stage and intermediate pump stage of the turbomolecular pump form a two-stage turbomolecular pump.

10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the output pump stage of the turbomolecular pump is a Holweck stage.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the turbomolecular pump is a three-stage vacuum pump.

12 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the pump stages of the booster pump are arranged on a common shaft, and/or that the pump stages of the turbomolecular pump are arranged on a common shaft.

13 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-vacuum pump is a separate vacuum pump independent of the booster pump and of the turbomolecular pump.