While developing and manufacturing large and high-powered vacuum tubes, the staff of Varian Associates, between 1956 and 1960, recognized the advantages of a new pumping scheme for obtaining and maintaining high vacuum. This pump, called the sputter-ion pump, makes use of the chemical reaction and gas entrapment at newly formed titanium layers which are produced by an electrical discharge between titanium electrodes. The pump is particularly useful for producing and maintaining high and ultra-high vacuum in systems over periods of months and years, since it has no hot filaments, no fluids, no moving parts, and does not require replenishment of liquid nitrogen. It needs only to be connected to a 120 V power source. In large sizes, it can maintain high vacuums in systems as large as the S-mile-long Stanford linear particle accelerator. In small sizes, it is seen today in research laboratories throughout the world as a standard piece of equipment.
The scientific and technological communities are indebted to Varian Associates for their early recognition of the usefulness of what they now call the 'Vacion' pump and for the support furnished in bringing it to the commercial stage.
The Certificate of Merit was awarded to Varian Associates: 'For the achievement of the practical sputter-ion vacuum pump, and its reduction to commercial practice which stemmed from a recognition of the useful characteristics of the basic principles, and resulted from a concerted program of research, development, and product design'.