The pressure in ultra-high vacuum UHV systems is primarily limited by outgassing from internal surfaces. Coating these surfaces with getter materials is an efficient method to reduce outgassing. Getter alloys provide a dual benefit: they bind residual gas molecules (pumping effect) and exhibit a low outgassing rate under particle bombardment.
Traditionally, getter materials are deposited onto the inner surfaces of long vacuum chambers via magnetron sputtering using Ti-V-Zr wires. However, for more complex geometries - such as the mechanical holders of permanent magnets in undulators - a magnetron sputtering head with Ti-Zr-V discs as targets is preferred.
During this internship, you will prepare getter targets by melting Ti, Zr, and V metals in an induction vacuum furnace. These targets will then be used in a sputtering chamber to coat various mechanical components destined for use in PSI's accelerator facilities.
Your tasks will include:
- Melting Ti, Zr, and V using an induction vacuum furnace to fabricate sputtering targets
- Coating undulator flexor keepers using the prepared targets in our sputtering facility
- Measuring and comparing the outgassing rates of the keepers, both coated and uncoated
If time permits (or in parallel with the tasks above), you will also characterize the activation properties of cold-sprayed Ti and Zr samples by monitoring surface oxygen content evolution using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
You will be expected to summarize your work in a brief report and present your findings to the team.
What you will learn:
You will gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technologies used to achieve ultra-high vacuum conditions. This internship offers the opportunity to work on both technical and experimental aspects, and to collaborate closely with experts across multiple fields of accelerator science, including vacuum technology, X-ray science, and control systems.