Total and Partial Pressure Measurement

TL;DR

This paper reviews methods for measuring total and partial pressures in vacuum systems, discussing gauge principles, calibration standards, and challenges with quadrupole mass spectrometers for partial pressure analysis.

Contribution

It provides an updated overview of measurement principles, calibration procedures, and identifies current issues with partial pressure measurement techniques.

Findings

Summarizes total pressure gauge calibration standards.

Explains mass filtering in quadrupole mass spectrometers.

Highlights measurement challenges in partial pressure analysis.

Abstract

Total pressure gauges are used to measure the level of vacuum in a system independent of the gas species. Partial pressure analysers measure the occurrence of each gas species separately. This report explains the methodology of measurement, summarizes the measurement principles of total pressure vacuum gauges, and updates the standardization work for their calibration. On the matter of partial pressure measurement, this report explains the mass filtering by the quadrupole mass spectrometers and outlines the measurement problems with these instruments.