A large nonmagnetic aluminum-and-Viton vacuum chamber suitable for vacuum pressures down into the extremely-high-vacuum (XHV) regime

A recently constructed large nonmagnetic vacuum chamber is described and characterized. The vacuum chamber was machined from 19-inch cubes of aluminum and are sealed using dual Viton O-rings (with the interspace between the O-rings evacuated by a separate vacuum pump). 17-inch-diameter openings on all six sides allow for easy access to the experimental apparatus and for vacuum pumps with very large pumping speeds. These 17-inch holes were bored straight through the aluminum cube, resulting in an interior volume of 100 L (almost 90% of the total volume of the 19-inch cube). The 17-inch openings are sealed with 19-inch-diameter aluminum flanges. The system is modular in that the cubes can be connected to one another to form larger vacuum systems. The chamber is designed to allow for vacuum pressures of ${10}^{-12}$ torr. In many respects (including nonmagnetic properties, outgassing rate after low-temperature baking, weight, cost, ease of machining, and ease of baking due to the chamber’s high thermal conductivity) this system is superior to standard stainless-steel metal-sealed CF vacuum systems and is highly recommended for use by others.