US 6,002,208 A · Universal cold-cathode type ion source with closed-loop electron drifting and adjustable ion-emitting slit

Abstract

A universal cold-cathode type ion source with a closed-loop electron drifting source and with an ion-beam propagation direction perpendicular to the plane of electron drifting is intended for uniformly treating stationary or moveable objects with such processes as cleaning, activation, polishing, thin-film coating, or etching. The ion source of the invention allows adjustment of beam parameters and configurations and has an ion emitting slit of an adjustable geometry. In one embodiment, the adjustment is carried out by changing the width of the slit by shifting moveable parts of the cathode in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the ion beam. In another embodiment the slit configuration is adjusted by shifting a moveable part of the cathode in the direction of the beam propagation. The invention also provides a method for adjusting the shape and configuration of the ion beam with respect to the object to be treated. The adjustment can be performed during the operation of the ion beam while observing the beam through a sealed transparent window of the vacuum chamber.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A universal ion beam source with a closed-loop ion-emitting slit capable of emitting an ion beam toward an object located in a position reachable by said ion beam, comprising:

a hollow housing that functions as a cathode of said ion beam source;
an anode located in said hollow housing and spaced from said cathode to form an ionization gap therebetween for ionization and acceleration of ions formed in said gap during operation of said ion beam source,
magnetic field generating means in magnetoconductive relationship with said anode and said cathode for forming closed magnetoconductive circuit passing through said anode, said ionization gap, said cathode, and said magnetic field generating means;
a closed-loop ion emitting slit formed in said cathode in the path of said magnetoconductive circuit, said closed-loop ion emitting slit having predetermined geometric dimensions defined by an inner profile and an outer profile;
electric power supply means for maintaining said anode under a positive charge and said cathode under a negative charge with respect to said anode;
means for the supply of a working medium into said hollow housing of said cathode to form an ion beam when said working medium passes through said ionization gap, said beam having a direction of propagation towards said object;
and
means for adjusting said predetermined geometric dimensions of said closed-loop ion emitting slit and thus for adjusting performance characteristics of said ion beam source,
said cathode having a stationary part and a moveable part, said means for adjusting said predetermined geometric dimensions of said closed-loop ion emitting slit comprising means for moving said moveable part of said cathode with respect to said stationary part of said cathode.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Universal cold-cathode type ion source with closed-loop electron drifting and adjustable ion-emitting slit

Life of this patent

Universal cold-cathode type ion source with closed-loop electron drifting and adjustable ion-emitting slit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18