Product Overview
The MKS 852B-13384 is a Baratron capacitance diaphragm manometer from MKS Instruments, built for absolute pressure measurement in vacuum and controlled-atmosphere process chambers. Unlike thermal conductivity gauges that infer pressure from how quickly a gas carries heat away, the MKS 852B-13384 measures force on a taut metal diaphragm directly through a change in capacitance, so the reading is independent of gas species. Argon, nitrogen, oxygen, forming gas or a corrosive halide mixture all produce the same true pressure value, which removes gas correction factors entirely and makes recipes portable between tools.
In the Baratron Type 852B family, the MKS 852B-13384 is configured for a full-scale range of 13,384 Pa, equivalent to roughly 133.8 mbar or 100 Torr, which places it squarely in the band where low-pressure CVD, etch, strip, sputtering and load-lock control loops operate. Its wetted path is a fully welded nickel-based alloy assembly, so there are no elastomers to outgas, no virtual leaks to extend pump-down, and — in the very unlikely event of a diaphragm failure — the process gas remains contained inside the sensor rather than escaping into the tool or the fab.
Functionally, the MKS Instruments 852B-13384 is a transducer, not a gauge controller: it converts diaphragm deflection into a linear 0-10 VDC analog signal that is scaled by the host PLC, DCS, or tool computer, and it draws its power from a wide 13 to 32 VDC supply. That simplicity is exactly why the 852B platform has been specified into OEM semiconductor equipment for decades — it is compact, stable, and easy to interface with any analog input card.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter Name | Parameter Value |
|---|---|
| Product Model | MKS 852B-13384 |
| Manufacturer | MKS Instruments (MKS Instruments, Inc.) |
| Product Type | Baratron absolute pressure transducer (capacitance diaphragm manometer) |
| Series / Platform | Baratron Type 852B capacitance manometer family |
| Measurement Type | Absolute pressure, referenced to an internal sealed vacuum cavity |
| Full Scale Range | 0 to 13,384 Pa (133.84 mbar, approx. 100 Torr) |
| Measurement Principle | Differential capacitance diaphragm, gas-composition independent |
| Accuracy | ±0.25% of reading (typical, configuration dependent) |
| Response Time | <10 ms for full-scale step |
| Supply Voltage | 13 to 32 VDC |
| Output Signal | 0 to 10 VDC linear analog (4-20 mA on configured variants) |
| Process Connection | 1/4 in VCR metal-seal face seal fitting (configuration dependent) |
| Electrical Interface | 15-pin D-sub connector (configuration dependent) |
| Wetted Materials | Inconel / Incoloy nickel-based alloy, fully welded, 100% leak-checked |
| Overpressure Limit | 45 PSIA or 2x full scale, whichever is greater |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 50 °C ambient; heated-body versions available |
| Dimensions / Weight | Approx. 50 x 50 x 80 mm; approx. 0.4 to 0.5 kg |
| Compliance | CE marked; RoHS compliant; SEMI S2 compatible |
Main Features and Advantages
Gas-independent measurement: The single most valuable property of the MKS 852B-13384 is that it measures pressure, not a gas property. Pirani and thermocouple gauges must be re-characterized whenever the process gas changes, and their readings drift as the filament ages. Because the MKS 852B-13384 responds to mechanical force on a diaphragm, a recipe validated on nitrogen behaves identically when the chamber is switched to argon or a reactive mixture. For fabs running multi-step processes, that translates directly into fewer calibration records, fewer correction tables, and fewer unexplained yield excursions when a gas line is changed.
All-welded, corrosion-resistant sensor: The sensing element is fabricated from nickel-based alloys and welded shut rather than sealed with O-rings, so the MKS 852B-13384 tolerates halogen and fluoride chemistries that would attack a conventional transducer. Eliminating elastomers from the wetted path also removes a persistent source of outgassing and virtual leaks, which is why chambers instrumented with this class of sensor reach base pressure faster and hold it more consistently. The welded construction additionally means that a diaphragm failure cannot release process gas into the tool enclosure.
Speed and stability for closed-loop control: With a response measured in milliseconds, the MKS 852B-13384 feeds throttle valve controllers and upstream mass flow controllers with a signal that lags neither visibly nor numerically behind the chamber. Pressure can therefore be regulated tightly through fast transients such as gas switches and pump-down ramps, and end-point or chamber-matching decisions can be made on live data. Long-term stability of better than 0.1% of full scale per year keeps the transducer inside tolerance between scheduled recalibrations, which lowers the true cost of ownership well below the purchase price.