Vacuum Technology
addresses the economical creation and maintenance of a closed environment
at subatmospheric pressures. Vacuum technicians design, develop, fabricate,
operate, and maintain vacuum systems. These systems are required in
many diverse fields including semiconductor device fabrication, physics
and materials research, thin film coating, food processing, pharmaceuticals,
space simulation, inertial fusion, and cryogenics. Many modern high
technology manufacturing processes entail vacuum processing. The skills
necessary include knowledge of the physics of vacuum, the equipment
for developing vacuum, types of pumps, gauges, containers and materials
behavior.
Skilled vacuum technologists
have a general knowledge of vacuum physics, electronics, manufacturing
processes, and safety issues. They are comfortable with the mathematics
required to economically specify appropriate vacuum equipment for a
given need. They stay current in their awareness of available products
and technologies, and often become contributing members of special interest
groups such as those found in the American Vacuum Society (AVS).
