Evacuation apparatus and evacuation method

摘要

An evacuation apparatus and method using a turbomolecular pump having a rotor provided with a plurality of rotor blades and a spacer provided with a plurality of stator blades so that gas molecules are sucked in from a suction port, compressed and discharged from an exhaust port of the turbomolecular pump is disclosed. A heat exchanger is provided at the suction port side of the turbomolecular pump to freeze-trap gas molecules from being cooled by a helium refrigerator. The gate valve is disposed upstream of the heat exchanger and is provided in a suction pipe which extends between the vacuum vessel and the turbomolecular pump. In exhausting the vacuum vessel, the gate valve is opened and, in this state, the turbomolecular pump and the helium refrigerator are run. During regeneration, the gate valve is closed, the turbomolecular pump is run, and the heat exchanger is heated by means of a heater or by operation of the helium refrigator being suspended, thereby sublimating molecules freeze-trapped in the heat exchanger.