Hydrogen negative ion production in a 14 GHz electron cyclotron resonance compact ion source with a cone-shaped magnetic filter.

The plasma electrode structure of a 14 GHz ECR ion source was modified to enlarge the plasma volume of low electron temperature region. The result shows that the extracted beam current reached about 0.6 mA/cm(2) with about 40 W microwave power. To investigate the correlation between the volume of the low electron temperature region and the H(-) current, a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer had been installed to observe light emission in the VUV wavelength range from the plasma. From the results of the negative ion beam current and that from VUV spectrometry, production rate of vibrationally excited hydrogen molecule seems to be enhanced by increasing the volume of low electron temperature region.

Characteristics of low-energy ion beams extracted from a wire electrode geometry.

Beams of argon ions with energies less than 50 eV were extracted from an ion source through a wire electrode extractor geometry. A retarding potential energy analyzer (RPEA) was constructed in order to characterize the extracted ion beams. The single aperture RPEA was used to determine the ion energy distribution function, the mean ion energy and the ion beam energy spread. The multi-cusp hot cathode ion source was capable of producing a low electron temperature gas discharge to form quiescent plasmas from which ion beam energy as low as 5 eV was realized. At 50 V extraction potential and 0.1 A discharge current, the ion beam current density was around 0.37 mA/cm(2) with an energy spread of 3.6 V or 6.5% of the mean ion energy. The maximum ion beam current density extracted from the source was 0.57 mA/cm(2) for a 50 eV ion beam and 1.78 mA/cm(2) for a 100 eV ion beam.

Extraction of negative hydrogen ions from a compact 14 GHz microwave ion source.

A pair of permanent magnets has formed enough intensity to realize electron cyclotron resonance condition for a 14 GHz microwave in a 2 cm diameter 9 cm long alumina discharge chamber. A three-electrode extraction system assembled in a magnetic shielding has formed a stable beam of negative hydrogen ions (H(-)) in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. The measured H(-) current density was about 1 mA∕cm(2) with only 50 W of discharge power, but the beam intensity had shown saturation against further increase in microwave power. The beam current decreased monotonically against increasing pressure.

Ion energy distribution functions of low energy beams formed by wire extraction electrodes.

The two-electrode extractor system made of 0.1 mm diameter tungsten wires separated by 0.7 mm has formed an argon ion beam with 50 V extraction potential. Energy spreads of the extracted beams were typically less than 2 eV when the beam current density was low. The beam intensity rapidly decreased as the distance between the extractor and the beam detector increased, indicating space charge limited transport of the beam. Problems associated with the emittance measurements are also discussed.

Gallium ion extraction from a plasma sputter-type ion source.

A broad mixed ion beam containing positive ions of gallium (Ga) was produced with a plasma sputter-type ion source. Liquid Ga was suspended on a tungsten reservoir to be sputtered and postionized in argon (Ar) plasma excited by a radio frequency (rf) power at 13.56 MHz. Optical emission spectra from the plasma near the Ga sputtering target had indicated that the release of Ga into plasma increased with increasing negative bias to the sputtering target. The ratio of Ga(+) current to Ar(+) current was measured to be about 1% with a quadrupole mass analyzer at 100 V extraction voltage for incident rf power as low as 30 W. Ions in the plasma were extracted through a pair of multiaperture electrodes. The homogeneity of Ga flux was examined by making a Ga deposition pattern on a glass substrate located behind the extractor electrodes.

Compact 2.45 GHz microwave ion/atom source.

Characteristics of a microwave driven 3.4 cm diameter compact ion/atom source equipped with permanent magnets were tested. The source can be mounted to a standard copper gasket flange, and microwave power is supplied through an N-type microwave connector. The ion source plasma was observed through an ion extraction hole with an optical emission spectrometer. Peak height of an optical line spectrum emission corresponding to atomic nitrogen increased in proportion to the microwave input power. Quadrupole mass spectrometer showed that N(+) and N(2)(+) were the dominant species in the extracted ion beam. Nitrogen ion current density of 0.23 mA/cm(2) was obtained with only 10 W discharge power and 6 x 10(-3) Pa source surrounding pressure.