Turbomolecular pumps are high-vacuum pumps designed to move gas molecules from a vacuum chamber to an exhaust. They operate on the principle of momentum transfer, using rapidly spinning rotors to impart velocity to gas molecules, pushing them in a preferred direction—typically toward a backing pump.
What Makes Them Different?
Unlike mechanical pumps that rely on compression, turbomolecular pumps are optimized for molecular flow conditions. At high vacuum levels (below 10⁻³ mbar), gas molecules behave independently, making traditional pumping methods ineffective. Turbomolecular systems excel here by using rotor blades spinning at speeds up to 90,000 RPM to collide with and direct molecules toward the exhaust.