65 Years of Turbopumps

Vacuum technology is not necessarily one of the sciences mentioned in connection with groundbreaking inventions. Nevertheless, it is a basic prerequisite for many developments and products that are taken for granted today. The influence of vacuum technology on our lives today can be traced back to the invention of the turbopump 65 years ago. Until then, the diffusion pump was considered the most widely used high and ultra-high vacuum pump, but with the help of Dr. Willi Becker's invention, it became possible to create hydrocarbon-free vacuum. It was only through a ‚clean' vacuum that many analyses and manufacturing processes became possible.