Experiences from nonevaporable getter-coated vacuum chambers at the MAX II synchrotron light source

Vacuum chambers coated with nonevaporable getter (NEG) materials have been used in straight sections of synchrotron light sources for the past 10 years. The MAX II storage ring, where four NEG-coated insertion device vacuum chambers and three NEG-coated dipole vacuum chambers have been installed, is the first synchrotron light source to also use NEG-coated dipole vacuum chambers. In connection with the installation of the latest two NEG-coated dipole chambers in April 2009, the evolution of the pressure and lifetime-limiting effects in MAX II has been determined from measurements with movable scrapers. The results have been compared with results from scraper measurements done in 2003, before any NEG-coated vacuum chambers were installed in the storage ring. Less than three months after the installation of the latest dipole chambers the vacuum system in MAX II was performing well with a pressure already lower than the pressure measured in 2003.