BLOG ARTICLE
Regenerating Performance: How Edwards Simplifies NEG Pump Activation & Regeneration
NORTH AMERICA | 29 October 2025 | 5 min
In the world of ultra-high vacuum, precision isn’t optional - it’s essential. Non-evaporable getter (NEG) pumps quietly enable the cleanest vacuum environments imaginable, but even the best getter materials need care to perform at optimal levels.
At Edwards, we’ve developed a smarter, more efficient way to handle NEG pump conditioning and activation/regeneration… one that saves time, simplifies workflows, and enhances precision at every step. Our customized TIC Cart XL Pumping Station is designed from the ground up with flexibility, mobility, and control in mind, giving users a powerful, all-in-one platform to manage NEG activation, regeneration, and system pump-down with ease and complete confidence.
Understanding NEG Technology: The “Vacuum Sponge”
A NEG pump functions differently from conventional through-pumps. Instead of transferring gases from inlet to outlet, a NEG acts more like a vacuum sponge, permanently capturing, or "gettering" gas molecules such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide on its surface or within its structure. Over time, that sponge fills up - and must be “wrung out” through a controlled heating process known as conditioning and activation (for new or exposed pumps) or regeneration (for pumps already in use).
Pressed vs. Sintered NEG Discs
Edwards offers two NEG pump technologies within our Gamma Vacuum product range:
- NP Series (Pressed Discs) – Formed through cold-pressing getter alloy powder to create dense, low-porosity discs. These deliver excellent long-term sorption capacity.
- NS Series (Sintered Discs) – Manufactured by sintering mixed getter and evaporator powders to produce a more porous structure, increasing surface area and pumping speed.
In simple terms, pressed discs hold more over time, while sintered discs act faster due to greater surface accessibility
Why Activation and Regeneration Matter
Once installed in a vacuum system, NEG materials must be conditioned and activated before they can efficiently pump gases.
- Conditioning Phase – The NEG is heated, driving off surface moisture (mainly water vapor) adsorbed during exposure to atmosphere.
- Activation (or Regeneration) Phase – The NEG is then heated to a higher temperature for a longer period of time. This releases trapped hydrogen into the vacuum space and pushes other gases, like oxygen and nitrogen, deeper into the bulk material, preparing the surface for renewed gettering.
How NEG Pumps Actually Capture Gas
A NEG (non-evaporable getter) pump uses adsorption and absorption to create a vacuum. It first chemically adsorbs reactive gas molecules onto its surface, which then diffuse into the bulk of the material through absorption. For hydrogen and water, there is also a rapid absorption into the material after the initial adsorption.
You can think of adsorption as water condensation on a cold surface—like a bathroom mirror—where water clings to the outside. Absorption, on the other hand, is like a sponge, where water travels deep into the material.
For NEG pumps:
- Reactive gases like O₂, CO, CO₂, and N₂ are first adsorbed on the getter surface and then diffuse inward (absorbed) into the bulk.
- For H₂ and H₂O, the absorption step is very fast after initial adsorption, which is why NEG pumps are excellent for hydrogen pumping.
Click the link here to learn more about how NEG operation is used to remove gas molecules from high or ultra-high vacuum systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfyQqH9oHlg
This cyclical process allows a NEG pump to operate for years - often with multiple regenerations, especially in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environments where hydrogen dominates as the residual gas.
The Edwards Customized TIC Cart XL: One Cart, Multiple Capabilities
When it’s time to activate or regenerate, the challenge is controlling heat, managing released gas loads, and maintaining system cleanliness. Edwards solves all three with our customized TIC Cart XL Pumping Station, configured for NEG activation and regeneration.
Key Advantages:
- Integrated Control – Equipped with the DIGITEL SPC-NEG controller, the TIC Cart XL delivers precise power and temperature control for activation and regeneration cycles, all through a large touchscreen interface with Ethernet connectivity.
- Efficient Pump-Down – Featuring a turbomolecular (usually one word w/out hyphen) pump backed by a dry scroll or multi-stage roots pump, the TIC Cart XL rapidly evacuates water vapor and hydrogen released during conditioning and activation.
- Enhanced Monitoring – Connect up to three gauges via the integrated TIC controller to monitor vacuum conditions in real time.
- Mobility and Versatility – The cart’s portable design allows a single unit to serve multiple NEG installations across beamlines or laboratory systems, minimizing equipment redundancy and maximizing ROI.
Power, Precision, and Flexibility Built In
Each cart combines an nEXT turbomolecular pump (your choice of speeds from 240 – 930 l/s) with your choice of dry backing pump, either an nXRi multistage roots or a nXDS dry scroll pump to achieve pumping speeds from 15 to 90 m³/h, depending on your chamber size and process requirements. The system arrives fully assembled and ready to run, featuring an integrated TIC Turbo and Instrument Controller that provides full control via an intuitive interface, complete with RS232 serial communications and Windows® monitoring software. For added capability, the TIC Cart XL can be configured with a DIGITEL SPC-NEG controller for rapid NEG activation and regeneration, with optional Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) integration for process diagnostics - all within a mobile, shareable platform that delivers true laboratory versatility.
The Edwards Advantage
NEG pumps are essential to achieving the clean, stable conditions demanded by advanced research and industry. But their performance depends on precise, reliable regeneration - and that’s where Edwards excels. With our customized TIC Cart XL, customers can manage every phase of the NEG lifecycle with confidence, control, and convenience.
From conditioning to activation/regeneration, Edwards delivers the complete solution for maintaining your vacuum at its best - every time.