Star pinch X-ray and extreme ultraviolet photon source

A system for generating photons, comprising:

• a housing defining a discharge chamber;
• first and second groups of ion beam sources in the discharge chamber, each electrostatically accelerating a beam of ions of a working gas toward a plasma discharge region, said first group of ion beam sources acting as a cathode and said second group of ion beam sources acting as an anode;
• a first voltage source for applying an accelerating voltage to said first and second groups of ion beam sources;
• a second voltage source for supplying a heating current through the plasma discharge region between said first and second groups of ion beam sources;
• a gas source for supplying a working gas to the discharge chamber;
• a neutralizing mechanism for at least partially neutralizing said ion beams before they enter the plasma discharge region, wherein the neutralized beams enter the plasma discharge region and form a hot plasma that radiates photons;
• and
• a vacuum system for controlling the pressure of the working gas in the discharge chamber.

A method for generating photons, comprising the steps of:

• electrostatically accelerating a plurality of beams of ions of a working gas toward a plasma discharge region;
• at least partially neutralizing said ion beams before they enter the plasma discharge region;
• and
• supplying a heating current through the plasma discharge region, wherein the neutralized beams and the heating current form a hot plasma that radiates photons.

A source of photons comprising:

• a discharge chamber;
• a plurality of ion beam sources in the discharge chamber, each electrostatically accelerating a beam of ions of a working gas toward a plasma discharge region;
• a neutralizing mechanism for at least partially neutralizing said ion beams before they enter the plasma discharge region;
• and
• an external electrode spaced from the plasma discharge region and biased with respect to the ion beam sources for delivering a heating current to the plasma discharge region, wherein the neutralized beams and the heating current form a hot plasma that radiates photons.

A source of photons comprising:

• a housing that defines a discharge chamber;
• a first group of ion beam sources directed toward a plasma discharge region in the discharge chamber, wherein a component of said first group of ion sources constitutes a first electrode;
• a second electrode spaced from the plasma discharge region;
• a first power supply for energizing the first group of ion beam sources to electrostatically accelerate, from the first group of ion beam sources toward the plasma discharge region, ion beams which are at least partially neutralized before they enter the plasma discharge region;
• and
• a second power supply coupled between the first and second electrodes for delivering a heating current to the plasma discharge region, wherein the ion beams and the heating current form a hot plasma that radiates photons.

A system for generating photons, comprising:

• a housing defining a discharge chamber;
• a first group of ion beam sources directed toward a plasma discharge region in the discharge chamber, wherein a component of said first group of ion sources constitutes a first electrode;
• a second electrode spaced from the plasma discharge region;
• a first power supply for energizing the first group of ion beam sources to accelerate, from the first group of ion beam sources toward the plasma discharge region, beams of ions of a working gas, wherein the ions are at least partially neutralized before they enter the plasma discharge region;
• a second power supply coupled between the first and second electrodes for delivering a heating current to the plasma discharge region;
• a gas source for supplying the working gas to the discharge chamber;
• and
• a vacuum system for controlling the pressure of the working gas in the discharge chamber.