Residual gas analysis (RGA)

Validating and ensuring reliability in high-precision applications

In industries where precision and reliability are critical, such as microelectronics, telecommunications, MEMS, and healthcare, maintaining controlled internal environments in hermetically sealed systems is essential.

Residual Gas Analysis (RGA) is a well-recognized and accepted diagnostic technique for identifying and quantifying trace gases in vacuum systems and gas filled devices, ensuring performance, stability, and lifetime.

What is Residual Gas Analysis (RGA)?

Residual Gas Analysis is a highly sensitive analytical method that examines the composition of gases present within a vacuum or gas filled system. This process enables the detection of:

Atmosphere: measuring both the absolute total and partial pressure in a hermetically sealed device.
Contamination: identifying critical substances that could affect device functionality.
Leakage: assessing sealing imperfections that allow external unwanted gases to penetrate the system.
Outgassing: measuring the release of gases from materials or components over time.

These insights are vital for ensuring the integrity of components, performance stability over time especially in applications that demand ultra-high reliability features.

Applications of RGA in Industry

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)

MEMS devices rely on vacuum sealed cavities where even trace amounts of residual gases can affect their operation. RGA helps assess the internal atmosphere and partial pressures of gas species, detecting issues such as outgassing from material and components or leaks that may compromise long-term performance. By measuring and checking the inner atmosphere of the devices, RGA contributes to the development of robust MEMS packaging solutions.

Telecommunications

Optical amplifiers, transmitters, and other telecom components are highly sensitive to internal contamination. Herewith RGA can be used to check whether the internal gas composition remains within stringent quality standards, preventing corrosion and degradation that could lead to operational failures.

Microelectronics and Sensors

Semiconductor and sensor devices demand vacuum-sealed environments for optimal performance. RGA is indispensable in identifying potential contamination sources during manufacturing, supporting quality control, and enhancing product reliability.

Healthcare and Biotechnology

Medical devices, such as implantable sensors and diagnostic tools, require precise environmental conditions to function effectively. RGA aids in ensuring these conditions are met, safeguarding device performance.

The growing importance of RGA

As industries advance toward greater miniaturization, performance, integration of new materials and sub-components, the need for precise environmental diagnostics becomes increasingly vital. RGA not only provides better insight into the quality and reliability of components, but also supports innovation by enabling the development of new solutions for hermetically sealed devices and tighter control over manufacturing processes.

Why Choose Residual Gas Analysis?

Investing in RGA enables businesses to:

Reduce production defects and material waste, thus increasing manufacturing yield.
Extend the lifespan of gas sensitive hermetically sealed systems.
Meet stringent industry standards for reliability and quality.

With its wide-ranging applications, RGA has become a cornerstone for industries where reliability matters.

Residual Gas Analysis: gas composition assessment and measurement of partial pressure of each gas inside the closed package. Vacuum sealing or leaky sealing can be checked as well.

Gas	PageLid® (mbar)	No PageLid® (mbar)
H₂	–	1.37
CO	–	1.81
N₂	–	–
H₂O	–	1*10^-2
O₂	–	–
CO₂	–	1.50
Noble gases	4.05*10^-7	9*10^-7
Organic compounds	5.12*10^-4	7.98
Total	*5.1210^-4**	12.76

Interested in Residual Gas Analysis?

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