Cleaning

The parts that go into the vacuum chamber need to be cleaned. Any dust or lint can damage the vacuum pump, while oily residu may stain the window of the lamp or the reflective grating of the monochromator.

Ultrasonic bath

First all the parts were cleaned in an ultrasonic soap bath for 10 minutes. They were suspended from twisted wires or put in a wire basket and completely submerged.

Rinsing and drying

Parts were taken out of the ultrasonic bath by the wires that were used to suspend them. Then the parts were rinsed using ultra pure water for approximately 30s per part. Any holes or bends in the parts were then blown out with pressurized air to remove soapy water. After, the parts were rinsed once more with ultra pure water. Then they were put in an oven at approximately 100 degrees Celsius to dry. When completely dry, which took around 1 hour, the parts were inspected for soap residu. If necessary, the stains were removed using isopropanol, or the part was rinsed and dried again.

Storage

Clean and dry parts were packed in aluminium foil and stored in boxes until assembly.