A vacuum exhaust method is for decreasing a pressure in a processing chamber in which a mounting table configured to mount thereon a substrate is provided by using a gas exhaust unit. The vacuum exhaust method includes mounting a non-evaporated getter (NEG) on the mounting table, and adsorbing an active gas in the processing chamber on the NEG mounted on the mounting table. In the adsorbing the active gas, the NEG is maintained at a predetermined temperature.

A vacuum exhaust method is for decreasing a pressure in a processing chamber in which a mounting table configured to mount thereon a substrate is provided by using a gas exhaust unit. The vacuum exhaust method includes mounting a non-evaporated getter (NEG) on the mounting table, and adsorbing an active gas in the processing chamber on the NEG mounted on the mounting table. In the adsorbing the active gas, the NEG is maintained at a predetermined temperature.

A cold-atom cell is formed by machining a block of silicon to define sites for an atom source chamber, an atom manipulation chamber, and an ion-pump chamber. A polished silicon panel is frit-bonded to an unpolished (due to machining) chamber wall (which would be difficult and costly to polish). The polished panel can then serve as a reflector or a sight for anodic bonding. A solid-phase atom source provides for vapor phase atoms in the source chamber. The source chamber also includes carbon and gold to regulate the atom pressure by sorbing and desorbing thermal atoms. The atom manipulation chamber includes components for magneto-optical trap and an atom chip, e.g., for forming a Bose-Einstein condensate. The ion-pump chamber serves as the site for an ion pump. By integrating the ion pump into the body of the cold-atom cell, a more compact, reliable, and robust cold-atom cell is achieved. In addition to the embodiment just described, several variations and alternatives are presented and within the scope of the claims.

Some embodiments include an apparatus, comprising: a vacuum enclosure including an opening; a support structure disposed in the vacuum enclosure, the support structure comprising: a first portion attached to the vacuum enclosure at the opening; and a second portion extending within the vacuum enclosure; and a plurality of getters disposed on the second portion of the support structure.

Some embodiments include an apparatus, comprising: a vacuum enclosure including an opening; a support structure disposed in the vacuum enclosure, the support structure comprising: a first portion attached to the vacuum enclosure at the opening; and a second portion extending within the vacuum enclosure; and a plurality of getters disposed on the second portion of the support structure.