Electron Stimulated Molecular Desorption of a NEG St 707 at Room Temperature

Electron stimulated molecular desorption (ESD) from a NEG St 707 (SAES GettersTM) sample after conditioning and after saturation with isotopic carbon monoxide2,13C18O, has been studied on a laboratory setup. Measurements were performed using an electron beam of 300 eV kinetic energy, with an average electron intensity of 1.6 1015 electrons s-1. The electrons were impinging on the 15 cm2 target surface at perpendicular incidence. It is found that the desorption yields h (molecules/electron) of the characteristic gases in an UHV system (hydrogen, methane, water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide) for a fully activated NEG as well as for a NEG fully saturated with 13C18O are lower than for OFHC copper baked at 120oC. A small fraction only of the gas which is required to saturate the getter surface can be re-desorbed and thus appears to be accessible to ESD.