US 4,862,032 AGranted

End-Hall ion source

OwnerHarold R. Kaufman, Raymond S. Robinsoninventors

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Abstract

A gas, ionizable to produce a plasma, is introduced into a region defined within an ion source. An anode is disposed near one end of that region, and a cathode is located near the other. A potential is impressed between the anode and the cathode to produce electrons which flow generally in a direction from the cathode toward the anode and bombard the gas to create a plasma. A magnetic field is established within the region in a manner such that the field strength decreases in the direction from the anode to the cathode. The direction of the field is generally between the anode and the cathode. The electrons are produced independently of any ion bombardment of the cathode, the magnet is located outside the region on the other side of the anode and the gas is introduced uniformly across the region.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An ion source comprising:

means for introducing and distributing a gas, ionizable to produce a plasma, uniformly in a transverse direction across a region within said source;
an anode disposed within said source near one longitudinal end of said region;
a cathode disposed near the other longitudinal end of said region and spaced from said anode;
means for impressing a potential difference between said anode and said cathode to produce electrons flowing generally in a longitudinal direction from said cathode toward said anode in bombardment of said gas to create said plasma, the production of said electrons being independent of any substantial bombardment of said cathode by ions in said plasma;
and means included within said source for establishing within said region a magnetic field the strength of which decreases in the direction from said anode to said cathode and the direction of which field is generally between said anode and said cathode, said establishing means including a magnet located entirely outside of and on the side of said anode away from said region in said longitudinal direction.

2 more elements

An ion source comprising:

means for introducing a gas, ionizable to produce a plasma, into a region within said source;
an anode disposed within said source near one end of said region;
a cathode disposed near the other end of said region and spaced from said anode;
means for impressing a potential between said anode and said cathode to produce electrons flowing generally in a longitudinal direction from said cathode toward said anode in bombardment of said gas to create said plasma;
and means included within said source for establishing within said region a magnetic field the strength of which decreases in the direction from said anode to said cathode and the direction of which field is generally between said anode and said cathode, said establishing means including a magnet located entirely outside of and on the side of said anode away from said region in said longitudinal direction.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.