AVS National Short Courses 2026
May and June - Online
| May-June Online Courses | Dates and Times | Type | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
May 19, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (ET) |
Zoom |
||
June 2, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (ET) |
Zoom |
November 9-12, 2026 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (with AVS 72)
| November In Person Course | Date and Times | Type | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
Monday-Thursday, Nov. 9-12, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (ET) |
In Person |
Costs and Inclusions -
During the online course you may ask questions. Instructors will review and answer them periodically throughout the course.
- Course Includes: Link to PDF file of the copyrighted course notes for online course; Printed copy of the copyrighted course notes for in person course. Digital badge and certificate following course completion.
- Requirements: You must be present the day of the course, recorded versions will not be available.
Online Courses
| Attendee Registration Type | Online Cost |
|---|---|
AVS Platinum Member |
$350 (1-day course) |
Non-Member |
$400 (1-day course) |
Full-time Student/Requires Student I.D. |
$200 (1-day course) |
November 9-12, 2026 - Pittsburgh, PA
| Attendee Registration Type | In Person Cost |
|---|---|
AVS Platinum Member |
$1,820 (4-day course) |
Non-Member |
$1,895 (4-day course) |
Full-time Student/Requires Student I.D. |
$400 (4-day course) |
Vacuum System Leak Detection and Basic Troubleshooting
- Real vs virtual leaks
- Leak rate specifications
- Different leak detection methods
- How a mass spectrometer leak detector works
- Care and feeding of a mass spectrometer leak detector
- Basic ways to use a mass spectrometer leak detector
- What to do when a leak is found
- Possible steps when a system passes leak test but has sub-par performance
- Sources of gas that can affect vacuum system performance
- Ways to mitigate gas sources
Instructor
Neil Peacock
Consultant, Pine Place Consulting, LLC
Basics of Radio Frequency Technology
- Understand the radio frequency (RF) plasma system as an electronic circuit.
- Learn a systematic approach to viewing a RF plasma system.
- Know techniques for maintaining and troubleshooting RF systems.
Instructor
John Caughman
Research Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Fundamentals of Vacuum Technology
- Understand vacuum fundamentals essential to operating, maintaining, designing, or using vacuum systems.
- Know the working principles and limitations of pumps, gauges, and other vacuum system components.
- Understand the procedures for operating and performing preventive maintenance on vacuum systems, including analyzing and troubleshooting malfunctioning vacuum systems and leak detection.
- Learn the design concepts involved in matching equipment and instrumentation to applications.
Instructors
Tim Gessert
Principal Scientist and Managing Member, Gessert Consulting, LLC
Instructor
Neil Peacock
Consultant, Pine Place Consulting, LLC
Other AVS Events
AVS e-Talks & Webinars 2026 - Coming Soon
| e-Talks and Webinars 2026 | Date and Times | Type | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|
Enabling Scalable Superconducting Quantum Devices |
Tues. April 28, 2026 |
FREE |
Ekta Bhatia, |
Wed., May 13, 2026 |
FREE |
Russ Renzas, |
|
Inside Industry: Career Growth, Leadership & Professional Impact |
Wed., May 20, 2026 |
FREE Zoom Webinar |
Panel |
Have an Idea for a Webinar or e-Talk?
We welcome suggestions for future Webinars and/or e-Talk topics and speakers.
Please e-mail Webinar suggestions to David Adams, AVS Short Course Chair, david_adams@avs.org.
Please e-mail e-Talk suggestions to Katherine Burzynski, AVS e-Talk Chair, katherine_burzynski@avs.org.
Courses by Request Form: Don’t see the course you need? Fill out this form to help us schedule it for you.
AVS Onsite/Online Training Form: Want a custom onsite course at your facility? Fill out this form for a quote (10+ participants ideal)