FAQ

For each product group, the website will default to one of our most popular configurations. From there, simply click on your preferred size, mounting type, bolt holes, etc., and the correct part number along with drawings and pricing will appear. The selector will gray out any non-standard size and configuration combinations.

You can use the custom quote form, which allows you to specify materials and tolerances, and attach drawings. You can also send an email to info@atlasuhv.com or call us at 360-385-3123. 

When you place an order, our customer service team will reach out to establish lead times and answer questions. If you realize you need to make a change, just let them know right away via email at orders@atlasuhv.com or your Atlas contact’s direct email address, or call 360-385-3123.

Online orders must be paid via major credit cards. Orders placed directly with our sales team can be paid via credit card, wire transfer, ACH, or through establishing credit.

Online orders must be placed via credit card. You can place your order directly with a company representative at orders@atlasuhv.com and let them know you’d like to pay via ACH or wire transfer. 

Atlas offers terms to established customers. To request a credit application, contact info@atlasuhv.com.

US & Canada - standard web product orders ship via FedEx (Ground, 2Day, Standard Overnight, or Priority Overnight), or you can input your company’s FedEx or UPS account when placing your order. Shipping for custom products and orders shipping outside the US and Canada is arranged during the quoting process.

In-stock products ship in 1-2 business days. Low inventory bimetal flanges and fittings typically ship in 4-5 weeks. You can contact us to check inventory or to inquire about expediting your order. 

Atlas warranties products for one year from the shipping date, provided products are installed and used within recommended operational conditions. All products are shipped ExWorks; thus, the customer assumes ownership when it leaves our facility. Warranty coverage is limited to actual repair or replacement of the part or assembly with no peripheral coverages.

With the exception of parts being returned for repair or replacement under standard warranty coverage, Atlas products are sold under No Cancellation, No Returns (NCNR) terms. Occasional exceptions are made for standard catalog products still sealed in their original packaging. 

To return parts for repair or replacement under standard warranty coverage, please contact the Atlas sales team at info@atlasuhv.com to request an RMA number. Return shipments that are not accompanied by an Atlas RMA number will not be accepted. 

High-performance HV, UHV, and XHV aluminum and titanium vacuum chambers, precision processing chambers, cryostats, X-ray tubes, and bimetal fittings, flanges, and transitions. Solid titanium fittings are also available. 

Atlas Technologies was started in 1994 by father-and-son team Richard and Jed Bothell. The company remains a family-owned entity. Read the whole story at https://www.atlasuhv.com/our-history.

Atlas is in Port Townsend, Washington in the far northwest corner of the continental United States. 

305 Glen Cove Rd

Port Townsend, WA 98368, USA

We design, develop, and manufacture aluminum and titanium vacuum chambers and a variety of bimetal components. Specialty solutions include Atlas Emissivac finishing for aluminum chambers and the capability to machine and weld a multitude of bonded dissimilar metal components. 

Atlas is careful to avoid disclosing customer-specific information, which allows us and our customers to maintain competitive advantage and mutual trust. A non-disclosure agreement applies to most custom projects. When placing an order, ask your Atlas representative for more information.

Yes. Welding aluminum is a little different than other metals. For example, stainless steel glows orange at welding temperature, while aluminum does not change color. Therefore, careful preheating is critical, as is carefully watching your weld puddle. Learn more in our handy aluminum welding guide.

Standard CF Flange > Standard CF Copper Gasket >Titanium Foil >Foil Window Flange

Aim slightly below standard CF torque spec for the given flange size and increase incrementally as necessary. Be sure to examine the gasket face that will contact the foil and the foil itself for any blemishes or imperfections. 

Common bonds include:

• Aluminum to stainless
• Aluminum to titanium
• Titanium to stainless
• Copper to stainless
• Niobium to stainless

Other combinations are also available. 

• Aluminum/Stainless = Aluminum 6061 > Titanium > Copper >Stainless Steel. Aluminum/Stainless is also available with a chrome (copper free) layer for applications which require zero or minimal copper contamination
• Titanium/Stainless = Titanium > Tantalum > Stainless Steel

Thicknesses and bonding methods are proprietary as we have thoroughly tested the effectiveness and performance of each bond type.

Aluminum is lightweight, non-magnetic, easy to machine, contains limited hydrogen and carbon contamination, and offers excellent thermal control. Additional benefits include significant vibration dampening, reduced radiation, and better bakeout. Learn more. 

Ultra-high vacuum is characterized by pressure lower than 1×10⁻⁹ Torr. UHV conditions are created by pumping the gas out of a UHV chamber to create an extremely empty, clean environment with almost all air removed, often approaching the pressure found in near-earth outer space. 

Extreme High Vacuum (XHV) represents the most extreme vacuum level possible, below 1×10⁻¹² Torr which is much higher vacuum than Ultra High Vacuum (UHV). XHV simulates the vacuum of deep space by removing almost all gas particles from a sealed chamber and is used for top-tier scientific research and quantum computing. Aluminum and titanium are typically more viable materials to achieve XHV.

Yes, a hermetic aluminum/stainless steel bond can be achieved via processes such as explosive bonding, roll bonding, and diffusion bonding. As aluminum and stainless steel are metallurgically incompatible, the use of interlayers between the parent metals is typically required to prevent the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds and ensure good bonds.

Explosive (or explosion) bonding is a rapid, cold process that creates pristine, clean surfaces and increases bond surface area through a wave pattern on the bond line, resulting in strong, ductile joints with minimal intermetallic formation.

Explosion bonding is a metallurgical process and has several advantages over adhesive bonding including superior strength, ductility, and permanence. Adhesives are often impacted by temperature extremes and radiation, causing embrittlement and potential bond failure, while metallurgical bonds maintain reliability in such environments. In vacuum applications, adhesives often outgas excessively leading to vacuum contamination and permeability issues, whereas metallurgical bonds are more reliable and less permeable. 

A metallurgical bond is a high-strength, atomic-level connection formed when atoms from two metal surfaces blend to create a unified, solid interface. The resulting joint is often as strong as or even stronger than the original metals themselves.

Atlas defines bimetal as two dissimilar metals hermetically bonded to each other. It is also referred to as bonded dissimilar metal. 

Atlas bimetal ConFlat (CF) flanges feature an aluminum side for weld-up to the chamber, and a stainless steel face with a knife edge to crush metal gaskets against the mating stainless steel CF flange. This provides a leak-proof seal and matches the thermal expansion of aluminum on one end and stainless on the other. 

Aluminum chambers are used in physics research, quantum computing, ion trapping, x-ray projects, cryogenic applications, telescopes, space test facilities, rocket thrusters, semiconductor fabrication, and more. Primary reasons for using aluminum and titanium chambers include low hydrogen content, reduced contamination, non-magnetic properties, zero-radiation, x-ray transparency, thermal conductivity and light weight. 

Yes. Nearly everything we build at Atlas needs to be leak checked, so we're experienced and proficient at this process. Our bonds and welds are leak tested to minimum 1.0x10⁻⁹ Torr x L/second using Pfeiffer ASM 392, ASM 340D and ASM340I leak check machines. Multiple high capacity and turbo pumps are available to pump out large chambers. More information here.

Yes. Atlas bonds and welds are leak tested to minimum 1.0x10-9 Torr x L/second using Pfeiffer ASM 392, ASM 340D and ASM340I leak check machines. More information here.

PDF drawings and CAD files are found on individual product pages right below the product selectors. 

An Atlas ATCR or ATCRBI is a Bimetal Face-Seal Fitting featuring a durable, stainless steel sealing face hermetically bonded to an aluminum body. This enables robust, demountable use of aluminum tubing in cryogenic, physics, semiconductor, and other applications. Titanium Face Seal Fittings are also available. ATCRs are fully compatible with Swagelok VCR® fittings.  

A ConFlat (CF) flange is used to connect vacuum chambers, tubing, and vacuum pumps to each other while maintaining UHV pressure. The flanges feature a sharp knife edge that allows two identical flanges to compress a soft copper gasket between them to create a leak-tight, bakeable seal. They are crucial in scientific and industrial vacuum systems. Atlas CFBI and CFTA ConFlat (CF) flanges feature an aluminum body with a stainless steel or titanium knife edge feature that enables aluminum or titanium vacuum chambers to connect to stainless steel components outside the chamber. Solid titanium ConFlat (CF) flanges are also available.

An Atlas CFBI is a Bimetal Al/SS ConFlat (CF) Flange, an aluminum flange with a stainless steel knife edge for dependable UHV and XHV sealing performance. Titanium/Aluminum (CFTA) ConFlat (CF) Flanges and All-Titanium (TICF) ConFlat (CF) Flanges are also available. 

A Swagelok VCR (Vacuum Coupling Radius) is a stainless steel fitting designed for metal-to-metal face seal fitting in vacuum applications. It uses a deformable metal gasket between two gasket beads (glands) to provide a seal, and it’s often used in semiconductor, chemical, and research industries to prevent contamination. 

Atlas has designed and manufactured rectangular, cylindrical, and spherical chambers as small as a few inches across and up to several feet across. A 22’ Atlas chamber is in current use in fusion energy experiments. Atlas was the original designer and manufacturer of VivaFresh Brand chambers, some as large as conventional shipping containers, for maintenance of produce. One of our smallest chambers is a nano-processing chamber barely 2 inches wide.

Bimetallic couplings allow for the integration of two metals with distinct properties, such as corrosion resistance, weight, and magnetic characteristics, within one component.

Hog-outs (short for hogged-out chambers) are machined from a solid block of material whereas welded chambers are constructed of welded plates. Hog-outs are ideal for complex shapes, precise feature placement, and reduced welding, which can be beneficial for vacuum performance. Hog-outs also offer better aesthetics especially when anodized or plated, as welds can cause color variations. Thick aluminum plates are readily available, enabling the production of sizable and intricate assemblies. 

Yes, Atlas chambers are often used as cryostats and for cryogenic atmospheric test environments, quantum computing research, cameras and infrared detectors for astronomy telescopes, particle accelerators, semiconductor fabrication, synchrotron, and extreme ultraviolet industries.

We’re happy to help! Just click on the questions box on the webpage to send us a chat or choose your favorite form of communication at https://www.atlasuhv.com/contact-us