A HIGH-PRESSURE-CELL AND TRANSFER ROD FOR ULTRAHIGH-VACUUM CHAMBERS

novel high pressure cell (or microreactor) and transfer rod for studying surface reaction rates at higher pressures (up to 15 bar) is described in this report. The reactor cell is attached to an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber for substrate pre- and post-reaction surface analysis. The sample is mounted on a newly designed transfer rod which allows it to be moved between UHV and the microreactor, while being heated resistively or cooled to 100 K. A unique feature of this system is the simple Teflon seal between the high pressure cell and UHV, which is compressed by driving the sample into the high pressure cell but is diffusively separated from the sample. It has been proven that this prevents impurities from the Teflon from reaching the sample during prolonged use. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.