The use of vacuum techniques is currently increasing to such an extent that they now find application in many areas of industrial development and production and academic research, as well as fulfilling an important teaching role in undergraduate laboratories. Basic Vacuum Technology addresses the need of undergraduate and postgraduate students, engineers and technicians for a concise and up-to-date introduction to this subject. Emphasising the underlying physics, this book provides all the information required by new users of vacuum systems. Its coverage is wide-ranging - from the behaviour of gases at low pressures, through methods of vacuum production and measurement, to system design and testing. Basic Vacuum Technology will be particularly useful for newcomers to the subject since it contains all the necessary background material for a full understanding of vacuum systems. It will also be of value to the growing number of industrial users of vacua, particularly in the microelectronics and semiconductor industries, and to researchers in surface science, thin film studies, electron microscopy, atomic and nuclear physics and solid state science.