A turbomolecular pump comprising: a housing; a pumping mechanism disposed in said housing, said pumping mechanism comprising a rotor shaft having an axis of rotation; a plurality of bearings (32, 34) supporting said rotor shaft for rotation relative to said housing about said axis of rotation, said plurality of bearings including a rolling bearing having an inner race and an outer race; a deflector mounted on said rotor shaft; a collection channel; a lubricant supply system; and a lubricant transfer device provided on said rotor shaft to transfer lubricant from said lubricant supply system to said rolling bearing, wherein said rolling bearing is disposed intermediate said lubricant transfer device and said deflector, wherein said deflector is configured to deflect lubricant that passes through said rolling bearing outwardly with respect to said rotor shaft into said collection channel and comprises an upstream major surface that faces said rolling bearing and a downstream major surface that faces away from said rolling bearing, said upstream major surface comprising a surface that is inclined with respect to said axis of rotation, wherein said rotor shaft extends through a bore provided in a partition disposed in said housing and said bore is disposed between said deflector and said pumping mechanism and is defined by a bore wall, characterised in that said deflector comprises a circumferentially extending skirt disposed on said downstream major surface that is configured to cause lubricant flowing over said downstream major surface to form into droplets that drip from said deflector to prevent lubricant flowing over said downstream major surface to said rotor shaft, in that said collection channel comprises an annular channel that surrounds the rotor shaft and has an inner circumference that defines an upstream end of the collection channel, and in that said bore wall is disposed a first radial distance from said axis of rotation, said deflector has an outer periphery disposed a second radial distance from said axis of rotation that is greater than said first radial distance and said upstream end of the collection channel is disposed a third radial distance from said axis of rotation, the third radial distance being greater than said first radial distance so that said upstream end is spaced radially outwardly of said bore wall and said droplets drop into said collection channel. a housing; a pumping mechanism disposed in said housing, said pumping mechanism comprising a rotor shaft having an axis of rotation; a plurality of bearings (32, 34) supporting said rotor shaft for rotation relative to said housing about said axis of rotation, said plurality of bearings including a rolling bearing having an inner race and an outer race; a deflector mounted on said rotor shaft; a collection channel; a lubricant supply system; and a lubricant transfer device provided on said rotor shaft to transfer lubricant from said lubricant supply system to said rolling bearing, wherein said rolling bearing is disposed intermediate said lubricant transfer device and said deflector, wherein said deflector is configured to deflect lubricant that passes through said rolling bearing outwardly with respect to said rotor shaft into said collection channel and comprises an upstream major surface that faces said rolling bearing and a downstream major surface that faces away from said rolling bearing, said upstream major surface comprising a surface that is inclined with respect to said axis of rotation, wherein said rotor shaft extends through a bore provided in a partition disposed in said housing and said bore is disposed between said deflector and said pumping mechanism and is defined by a bore wall, characterised in that said deflector comprises a circumferentially extending skirt disposed on said downstream major surface that is configured to cause lubricant flowing over said downstream major surface to form into droplets that drip from said deflector to prevent lubricant flowing over said downstream major surface to said rotor shaft, in that said collection channel comprises an annular channel that surrounds the rotor shaft and has an inner circumference that defines an upstream end of the collection channel, and in that said bore wall is disposed a first radial distance from said axis of rotation, said deflector has an outer periphery disposed a second radial distance from said axis of rotation that is greater than said first radial distance and said upstream end of the collection channel is disposed a third radial distance from said axis of rotation, the third radial distance being greater than said first radial distance so that said upstream end is spaced radially outwardly of said bore wall and said droplets drop into said collection channel.