Ion implanter and linear accelerator having polygonal backbone

An ion implanter, comprising:

• an ion source to generate a continuous ion beam at a first energy;
• and
• a linear accelerator, to receive the continuous ion beam, generate a bunched ion beam from the continuous ion beam, and accelerate the bunched ion beam to a second energy, the linear accelerator comprising:
• a beamline enclosure that defines a polygonal backbone;
• a plurality of acceleration stages, comprising a set of at least four acceleration stages, disposed along a length of the beamline enclosure, wherein a given acceleration stage comprises:
• a drift tube assembly to conduct an ion beam therethrough;
• a resonator, coupled to deliver an RF signal to the drift tube assembly;
• and
• a quadrupole assembly to shape the ion beam,
• wherein at a first acceleration stage, a first resonator is disposed along a first side of the polygonal backbone, and at a second acceleration stage, adjacent to and downstream of the first acceleration stage, a second resonator is disposed along a second side of the polygonal backbone, different from the first side,
• wherein at a third acceleration stage, a third resonator is disposed along a third side of the polygonal backbone, different from the first side and the second side, and
• wherein at a fourth acceleration stage, a fourth resonator is disposed along a fourth side of the polygonal backbone, different from the first side, the second side, and the third side.

A linear accelerator, comprising:

• a frame;
• a beamline enclosure that defines a hexagonal backbone and is attached to the frame;
• a buncher assembly, attached to at least one side of the beamline enclosure;
• a pump assembly, attached to a first vertical side of the beamline enclosure;
• a quadrupole assembly, attached to a second vertical side of the beamline enclosure;
• and
• a plurality of resonators, attached to the beamline enclosure,
• comprising a set of at least four resonators,
• wherein a first resonator is disposed along a first side of the hexagonal backbone, different from the first vertical side and the second vertical side, and wherein a second resonator is disposed along a second side of the hexagonal backbone, different from the first side, the first vertical side, and the second vertical side, wherein a third resonator is disposed along a third side of the hexagonal backbone, different from the first side and the second side, and
• wherein a fourth resonator is disposed along a fourth side of the hexagonal backbone, different from the first side, the second side, and the third side.