Many advanced technologies, such as surface science, semiconductor processing and high energy physics, call for vacuum levels of the order of 10−11 mbar and lower. These pressures can not be reached without a careful choice of materials, treatments, and evacuation means for the vacuum device involved. Non-evaporable getters (NEGs) are increasingly being recognized as an interesting and powerful solution for many vacuum problems. NEGs have been used extensively in sealed-off devices such as microwave tubes, traveling wave tubes, x-ray tubes, lamps, and infrared detector dewars, in which their main role is to assure the desired vacuum level throughout the life of the sealed device. The getter material can be considered as a chemical pump which removes the active gases in the residual atmosphere of the vacuum device by forming stable chemical compounds.

The choice of materials, treatments, and structures of nonevaporable getter materials is critical for the optimization of the sorption and diffusion processes which are the basis of the NEG pumping mechanism. The effectiveness of this pumping mechanism at very low pressures, and the cleanliness and simplicity of operation have made this pumping approach ideal, in combination with other pumping technologies, for reaching the extreme high vacuums today's advanced technologies require. This article will explain the mechanism of the gettering process, describing materials, treatments, and structures used in standard vacuum practice, and will review some of the most typical and interesting applications.