EMRP Project IND12
Vacuum metrology for
production
environments
Questionnaire to manufacturers und users of quadrupole mass
spectrometers on their wishes towards a possible calibration standard
procedure
Please, return this questionnaire to the coordinator of the project EMRP IND12 (address below), email karl.jousten@ptb.de
Aim of this questionnaire:
The present indications of quadrupole mass spectrometers (QMS) are not traceable to the SI units. Also it is not
possible to calibrate a QMS in all its features and possible set-ups. The EMRP IND 12 consortium, EU funded,
together with ISO TC 112 Vacuum Technology is taking steps towards a standard calibration1 for QMS to make
them in at least some of their readings traceable to the SI and to make their readings comparable with other QMS.
To this end the IND 12 consortium needs the help of both manufacturers and users in order to establish a
calibration standard procedure that is useful for many of them. Your data will be treated confidentially and results
presented anonymously.
Your contact details:
Company/Institute:
Name of contact person:
Position in company:
Address:
email:
Phone:
I am
o a user of QMS
o a manufacturer of QMS
o a distributor of QMS (you may tick more than one)
1
The first step was to establish the standard ISO 14291 "Definitions and specifications for quadrupole mass spectrometers".
Coordinated by:
Dr. Karl Jousten
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Abbestr. 2 - 12
10587 Berlin
Germany
email: karl.jousten@ptb.de
Telefon: +49 30 3481-7262
Telefax: +49 30 3481-7490
Internet: http://www.ptb.de/emrp/vacuum.html
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Questionnaire 1 for manufacturers and distributors:
If you are a manufacturer or distributor of QMS, please use the following questionnaire. All others should
use the questionnaire 2 for users of QMS.
No
Question
1
For which applications do you sell a QMS
mostly? Please name the 3 most important
applications.
(Examples: Leak testing,
absolute partial pressure measurement, gas
analysis, residual gas analysis, vapour
analysis, SIMS, plasma diagnostics)
Please, also describe the purpose of the
application. (Examples: drying processes
food
industry,
chemical
processes,
pharmaceutical,
metallurgy,
recycling,
enrichment, thin films, etching, MBE)
2
What parameters/qualities are mainly
requested by your customers? (Examples, see ISO 14291: mass range, mass resolution,
minimum detectable pressures, minimum
detectable concentration, pressure range,
resolution, sensitivity, linearity, accurate
absolute partial pressure)
3
What parameters/qualities are mainly in
your interest as manufacturer or distributor?
(Examples, - see ISO 14291: mass range,
mass resolution, minimum detectable
pressures,
minimum
detectable
concentration, pressure range, resolution,
sensitivity, linearity, accurate absolute
partila pressure)
4
Have any of your customers required a
calibration certificate of the QMS or made
any specifications in terms of accuracy or
reproducibility of it?
If, how many per year?
5
Have you as manufacturer established a
calibration procedure before you deliver a
QMS? If so, please describe shortly, how
and what you calibrate.
Answer
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What is the purpose of your calibration
procedure? (Examples: qualification as
operational
device,
m/e
accuracy,
traceability to SI in terms of partial pressure)
6
If you apply a calibration procedure, do you
use the same for all types of QMS that you
manufacture?
7
Do you think, a standardized calibration as manufacturer:
procedure would be helpful
for contract:
 for you as manufacturer
8

for your communication with the for your customer:
customer as contracting partner

for your customer
What would you propose as standard
calibration procedure?
Free space for any comments
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Questionnaire 2 for users of QMS:
No
Question
1
In which application do you use a QMS?
(Examples: Leak testing, absolute partial
pressure measurement, outgassing rate
measurement, gas analysis, residual gas
analysis, vapour analysis, SIMS, plasma
diagnostics)
Please, also describe the purpose of the
application. (Examples: drying processes
food
industry,
chemical
processes,
pharmaceutical,
metallurgy,
recycling,
enrichment, thin films, etching, MBE)
2
Accuracy is the closeness of agreement
between a measured quantity (partial
pressure, concentration) value and a true
quantity value of a measurand (absolute and
true partial pressure, true amount of
substance concentration in a matrix).
In this sense, do you need accuracy of the
QMS in your application?
3
Reproducibility is the closeness of
agreement between indications or measured
quantity
values obtained by replicate
measurements on the same or similar objects
under specified reproducibility conditions.
In this sense, do you need reproducibility of
your QMS in your application?
For which quantity: Partial pressure, relative
partial pressure or concentration?
4
When you need neither accuracy nor
reproducibility with your QMS: Why don’t
you need them?
5
Is another parameter of your QMS
important (e.g. minimum detectable
pressure, cracking pattern)?
6
If you answered question 1 and/or 2 by
“yes”: In your application, do you need the
accuracy or reproducibility for a single gas
Answer
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species or isotopes or several single gas
species and can you specify a few, which are
important for your application?
7
If you answered 1 and/or 2 by “yes”, in your
application, do you need the accuracy or
reproducibility for a gas mixture or several
gas mixtures and can you specify a few gas
mixtures which repeat very often and are
most important for you?
8
If you answered 1 and/or 2 by “yes”, in your
application, do you need the accuracy or
reproducibility in a large range of total
pressures or can you specify the range (one
decade or even a target value) which is often
used and is most important?
9
When you buy a QMS for your application,
which of the following parameters are most
important
for
your
decision?
Sensitivity, stability of sensitivity, mass
resolution, mass number stability, minimum
detectable pressure, minimum detectable
concentration, mass range, pressure range,
others (size, weight, price, etc.). With
rating...
Free space for any comments