Closed drift ion source with improved magnetic field

A closed-drift ion source for generating an accelerated ion beam comprising:

• means defining an approximately annular discharge region into which an ionizable gas is introduced;
• an anode located at one longitudinal end of said region;
• means enabling the accelerated ion beam to leave from the other longitudinal end of said region;
• an electron-emitting cathode near said other end of said region;
• a first pole piece located at the radially inward side of said region;
• a second pole piece located at the radially outward side of said region to create a generally radial magnetic field located in said region between said pole pieces in response to generation of a magnetic field;
• a magnetic circuit composed of permeable elements and one or more magnetic field producing means, said magnetic circuit being generally disposed on said one end of said region with said anode being located between elements of said magnetic circuit and said region;
• and
• further comprising baffle means through which the ionizable gas is introduced into said ion source, distributed in a uniform circumferential manner around said ion source and decreased in pressure below the Paschen-law minimum before being exposed to anode potential, and then, at said decreased pressure, is introduced to the discharge region through apertures, transverse to which there is sufficient magnetic field to contain the electrons and ions within the discharge region.

A method for introducing an ionizable gas into a closed-drift ion source for generating an accelerated ion beam of the type including:

• means defining an approximately annular discharge region into which an ionizable gas is introduced;
• a volume that is the interior volume of said closed drift ion source and exclusive of said region;
• an anode located at one longitudinal end of said region;
• means enabling the accelerated ion beam to leave from the other longitudinal end of said region;
• an electron-emitting cathode near said other end of said region;
• a first pole piece located at the radially inward side of said region;
• a second pole piece located at the radially outward side of said region to create a generally radial magnetic field located in said region between said pole pieces in response to generation of a magnetic field;
• a magnetic circuit composed of permeable elements and one or more magnetic field producing means, said magnetic circuit being generally disposed on said one end of said region with said anode being located between elements of said magnetic circuit and said region;
• wherein the method comprises the steps of:
• a. providing a baffle means disposed on the side of the anode opposite said region, having an inlet passage, at least one circumferential passage and at least one exit aperture generally facing said anode;
• b. passing the ionizable gas through said baffle means, with said ionizable gas having a pressure above the Paschen-law minimum at said inlet and being distributed in a uniform circumferential manner in said volume at a pressure below the Paschen-law minimum after passing through said exit aperture.

In a closed drift ion source means for generating an accelerated ion beam including,

• means defining an approximately annular discharge region into which an ionizable gas is introduced;
• an anode located at one longitudinal end of said region;
• means enabling the accelerated ion beam to leave from the other longitudinal end of said region;
• an electron-emitting cathode near said other end of said region;
• a first pole piece located at the radially inward side of said region;
• a second pole piece located at the radially outward side of said region to create a magnetic field located in said region between said pole pieces in response to generation of a magnetic field;
• a magnetic circuit composed of permeable elements and magnetic field producing means, said magnetic circuit being generally disposed on said one end of said region with said anode being located between said permeable elements and said region;
• and a permeable insert generally disposed on the longitudinal side of said region at which the anode is also situated and physically separated from said elements of said magnetic circuit;
• wherein the improvement comprises:
• said permeable elements of said magnetic circuit and said permeable insert being shaped so as to provide said magnetic field in a generally radial direction and with a decreasing strength as said anode is approached and said magnetic field producing means is essentially a single magnetic field producing means.