XHV integrated process with magnetic levitation transports

Abstract Extreme high vacuum (XHV) suffers from no surface contamination by adsorption of gasses and offers an ideal ultraclean environment which lasts long enough to artificially synthesize advanced materials with atomic manipulation. An XHV integrated process has been developed in order to transfer samples long distances from one instrument to another without any contamination by gas adsorption on the ultraclean surface. The process consists of chambers, pumps, gauges, gate valves, transports and so on. The process has three intro-chambers which join instrument chambers. Magnetic levitation transports are installed into the process because they have no sliding part which may generate dust particles and outgassing. One transport in the main track chamber electromagnetically levitates a carrier and transfers it by linear motor drive. The other transport in a sidetrack chamber levitates a carrier by YBa2Cu3O7-x superconducting magnet discs and mechanically transfers it. The integrated process can transfer samples from one introchamber to another with a pressure change of less than 10−10 Pa.