INFICON wins supply order for advanced vacuum instrumentation at the Hefei Advanced Light Facility
INFICON secured a major order to equip the new Hefei Advanced Light Facility (HALF), under construction in China, solidifying its global leadership in advanced sensor technology for cutting-edge research.
INFICON, the leading provider of advanced vacuum instrumentation and sensor technologies, has been awarded a significant contract to supply passive vacuum gauges and controllers to the prestigious Hefei Advanced Light Facility (HALF) project in China. This contract underlines INFICON's central role in promoting state-of-the-art research infrastructures around the world.
A trailblazer for the future of scientific research
The Hefei Advanced Light Facility (HALF) is a cutting-edge fourth-generation synchrotron radiation light source, under construction in Gangji Town, Changfeng, within the Future Science City of Hefei. As one of the national large research infrastructures, HALF is coordinated by the prestigious University of Science and Technology of China and supported by the central government of China and the Anhui Province. The construction is currently underway and scheduled to be completed by September 2028.
Synchrotron Radiation is the electromagnetic radiation occurring when high-energy charged particles, like electrons, moving at close to the speed of light in a vacuum are deflected by a magnetic field. The direction of the emitted radiation is tangent to the orbit of the particle. Synchrotron Radiation light sources are considered some of the most powerful scientific tools for advancing our understanding of nature. In recent years, fourth-generation Synchrotron Radiation light sources based on the diffraction-limited storage ring have emerged and have become the mainstream for newly built light sources worldwide. Fourth-generation light sources are characterized by extremely low electron beam emittances (below 0.1 nm∙rad), resulting in two to three orders of magnitude higher brightness and coherence than their third-generation counterparts.
HALF is designed as a world-class, premier fourth-generation synchrotron light source that operates at low energies with minimal emittance and high brightness. The facility will collaborate closely with the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF; operating at 3.5 GeV) and High Energy Photon Source (HEPS; under construction, 6 GeV). These facilities will continue to play a crucial role in advancing China’s scientific and technological capabilities and enhancing its global competitiveness, particularly in areas such as materials science, energy science, quantum physics, life sciences, nanotechnology, information technology, and more.
INFICON solutions to unparalleled needs
In the first phase of construction, HALF will be composed of a 2.2 GeV full energy, 175 m long LINAC injector, a 140 m transport line, a 480 m circumference Diffraction Limited Storage Ring (DLSR) synchrotron and 10 beamlines. In order to meet the demanding requirements of such a diffraction-limited machine and preserve beam lifetime, vacuum technology plays an essential role. Ultra-high vacuum down to 10-8 Pa (10-10 mbar) will be achieved in small-diameter vacuum chambers coated with NEG (Non-Evaporable Getters) and monitored by high-end vacuum sensors. Due to the harsh operating environment, all vacuum instruments shall withstand ionizing radiation and provide remote operation with distances ranging up to several tents of meters.
INFICON’s passive vacuum measurement solutions proved the best choice. HALF’s contract includes the supply of 70 VGC083C controllers and 70 MAG060 inverted magnetron cold cathodes, with an expected larger future potential for the future-to-build facility. VGC083 is a three-channel gauge controller for vacuum pressure monitoring and controlling from atmosphere down to ultra-high vacuum. Packaged in a small-footprint, the VGC083 compact yet powerful design provides users with a flexible and economical choice for vacuum applications requiring reliable, wide vacuum measurement range. VGC083 can be configured to control and read-out a large selection of available passive gauge heads: up to 3 passive gauge heads among two types of sensors design types, one ionization gauge (hot cathode or cold cathode) plus two Pirani gauges. Due to its extended compatibility, VGC083 is also the ideal solution for existing systems requiring direct drop-in replacements.
The gauge head MAG060 (together with its sisters MAG050 and triax MAG070) belongs to a long-established passive, inverted magnetron cold cathode gauges line. It is designed for vacuum measurement in the pressure range from 1×10-8 to 5×10-1 Pa (10-10 to 5×10-3 mbar). Due to absence of hot filaments and the robust design, MAG060 provides a dependable pressure measurement solution, from medium down to ultra-high vacuum. Thanks to a compact and all-metal design, MAG060 is capable of responding to the exceptional needs of demanding applications requiring high bake-out temperature (up to 250 °C) and harsh ionizing radiation resistance (107 Gy).
Elevating Science Through Innovation and Partnership
As it stands at the starting blocks of its first construction phase, the revolutionary 4th generation synchrotron light source project HALF represents a ground-breaking endeavor in the field of scientific research. HALF joins a new era of synchrotron radiation facilities, with MAX-IV (Sweden) as the first fourth Synchrotron Radiation facility operational since 2017, followed by SIRIUS in Brazil and the ESRF-EBS upgrade in France, both inaugurated in 2020, and the recent commissioning in 2024 of APS-U in USA.
The HALF facility together with the upgraded Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) and the future High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) under construction, will enable China to join the countries with an advanced light source system capable of serving all energy regions. This initiative holds great promise for pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery and INFICON is honored to play a central role in its realization. INFICON is excited about the opportunities this partnership offers and look forward to growing our business with HALF in the future.
The successful application of its product to the HALF project reflects INFICON's commitment to excellence and underscores the company's reputation as a trusted partner in advancing scientific research worldwide. As the project progresses, INFICON looks forward to contributing its expertise and innovative technologies to take scientific exploration to new heights. This success also underscores INFICON's unwavering commitment to delivering high quality solutions tailored to the evolving needs of the Big Science community. INFICON will remain at the forefront of driving innovation and enabling breakthrough discoveries as the global landscape of scientific research continues to evolve.
INFICON products – extending from advanced vacuum sensing and control to ultra-sensitive Leak Detection and precise Residual Gas Analysis – demonstrate once again the strength and convincing advantages of a longstanding and high-quality vacuum measurement solutions portfolio, fulfilling the stringent and unique requirements of the Research & Academia market.
