This chamber did come with a vacuum gauge, but it only goes down to 10E-3 torr, so it’s not suitable for our needs.
What we need is an Ionization gauge. I found one product that I really liked, the Intru Tech Hornet. It seems very easy to use: install conflat, plug in power, and get a reading. Coming in at under $1K, this gauge is in my budget.
However, this is the scenario I imagine happening if I get this gauge: we get the pressure down to 10E-6 torr and that’s as low as it goes. At this point you need a Residual gas analyzer, to make any further diagnosis. If you see air, you have a real leak from the outside. If you see water you need a bake-out. If you see hydrocarbons, you have outgassing. I found the extorr, which combines a Pirani, Ion Gauge, and RGA. It’s $3,450, and a stretch for my budget, but would be the only gauge you needed. It requires a windows box, and the software looks clunky.
Would an RSA also be useful for monitoring the pressure of the process gasses (deuterium/hydrogen/boron/helium)?
Prometheus Fusion Perfection 