Ultra-High Vacuum Valves
Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) valves are specialized, leak-tight isolation components designed to operate at pressures below 10⁻⁹ Torr. Constructed primarily from low-outgassing stainless steel or aluminum with metal-to-metal or edge-welded bellows seals, they withstand high-temperature bakeouts to prevent contamination in sensitive research and semiconductor environments.
Common Valve Types:
- Angle Valves: Divert gas flow by 90 degrees and use edge-welded metal bellows to seal small-to-medium vacuum lines cleanly.
- Ball Valves: Provide quick quarter-turn isolation down to 10⁻⁸ or 10⁻⁹ torr.
- Gate Valves: Provide unobstructed, full-clearance straight-through conductance for large opening sizes in main chamber isolation.
- Inline Valves: Insert directly into straight pipeline configurations with opposing flanges for seamless system alignment.
- All-Metal Leak Valves: Permit precise, micrometer-controlled gas dosing from external sources into high-purity chambers.