Quantitative cleaning characterization of a lithium-fluoride iondiode

An ion source cleaning testbed was created to test plasma-cleaning techniques, and to provide quantitative data on plasma-cleaning protocols prior to implementation on the SABRE accelerator. The testbed was designed to resolve issues regarding the quantity of contaminants absorbed by the anode source (LiF), and the best cleaning methodology. A test chamber was devised containing a duplicate of the SABRE diode. Radio-frequency (RF) power was fed to the anode, which was isolated from ground and thus served as the plasma discharge electrode. RF plasma discharges in 1-3 mtorr of Ar with 10% O₂ were found to provide the best cleaning of the LiF surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the LiF could accrue dozens of monolayers of carbon just by sitting in a 2×10^-5 vacuum for 24 h. Tests of various discharge cleaning protocols indicated that 15 min of an Ar/O₂ discharge was sufficient to reduce this initial 13-45 monolayers of carbon impurities to 2-4 monolayers. Rapid recontamination of the LiF was also observed. Up to ten monolayers of carbon returned in 2 min after termination of the plasma discharge and subsequent pumping back to the 10^-5 torr range. Heating of the LiF also was found to provide anode cleaning. Application of heating combined with plasma cleaning provided the highest cleaning rates     

Feasibility study on high current ion beam extraction from anode spot plasma for large area ion implantation

In this paper, we have investigated the feasibility of the high current beam extraction from anode spot plasma as an ion source for large area ion implantation. Experiments have been carried out with the ambient plasma produced by inductive coupling with radio-frequency (RF) power of 200 W at the frequency of 13.56 MHz. Anode spot plasmas are generated near the extraction hole of 2 mm in diameter at the center of a bias electrode whose area exposed to the ambient plasma can be changed. It is found that the maximum ion beam current is extracted at the optimum operating pressure at which the area of bias electrode exposed to ambient plasma is fully covered with the anode spot plasma whose size is dominantly determined by the operating pressure for given gas species. It is also observed that the extracted ion beam current increases nonlinearly with the bias power due to the changes in size and shape of the anode spot plasma. With the well-established anode spot plasma operating at the optimum gas pressure, we have successfully extracted high current ion beam of 6.4 mA (204 mA/cm²) at the bias power of 22 W (∼10% of RF power), which is 43 times larger than that extracted from the plasma without anode spot. Based on the experimental results, criteria for electrode design and operating pressure for ion beam extraction from larger extraction aperture are suggested. In addition, the stability of anode spot plasma in the presence of ion beam extraction through an extraction hole is discussed in terms of the particle balance model.     

阴阳极等离子体运动对强箍缩离子束二极管束流特性的影响

 主要研究了阴阳极等离子体运动对“闪光二号”加速器强箍缩离子束二极管束流特性的影响。给出了考虑阴阳极产生的等离子体运动对二极管间隙影响的Child-langmuir流、弱聚焦流、强聚焦流和饱和顺位流4个阶段的离子流和二极管总束流修正公式，利用这些修正公式计算的二极管总束流和离子束流强度与实测结果符合很好，在此基础上分析了提高离子束流强度和效率的方法，通过调整加速器参数，实验得到了峰值能量约500 keV，峰值电流约160 kA的高功率离子束。     

Operational characteristics of a plasma cathode with a grid stabilization in a two-stage ion source

The discharge characteristics and the parameters of the cathode plasma in a two-stage ion source with a grid plasma cathode and a magnetic trap in the anode region are investigated. It is shown that an increase in the gas pressure and the accompanying increase in the reverse ion current in the bipolar diode between the cathode and anode plasmas lead to an increase in the cathode plasma potential and a transition of the cathode into the regime of electron emission from the open plasma boundary. The dependence of the ion current extracted from the anode plasma on the area of the exit aperture of the hollow cathode and the mesh size of the grid plasma cathode is explained. The conditions at which the ion emission current from the anode plasma is maximum are determined. The potential difference at the bipolar diode is measured by using the probe method. It is shown that, when the gas pressures reaches a critical value determined by the mesh size of the grid plasma cathode, the discharge passes into a contracted operating mode, in which the ion current extracted from the anode plasma decreases severalfold.     

Charge Flow and Plasma Behavior in Intense Ion Beam Diodes

Intense ion beams are produced in high-power vacuum diodes of various configurations and are believed to be useful for applications in inertial confinement fusion and plasma confinement. Using magnetically insulated diodes, we investigated spatial nonuniformities of the diode plasmas, plasma expansion, ion transverse velocities in the diode gap, electron flow to the anode, and the charge distribution in the gap. Various time-dependent diagnostic techniques including recently developed spectroscopic methods have been used. We observed rapid closure of the diode gap, resulting from fast expansion of the electric field-excluding anode plasma early in the pulse. This contributes significantly to the measured ion current density enhancement. The electron cloud in the gap was seen to spread towards the anode beyond the region of the theoretical electron sheath. This is consistent with observed ion current densities being larger than the values calculated using the actual diode gap. The ion angular spread was found to increase locally due to nonuniform expansion of the cathode plasma for one class of phenomena and of the anode plasma for the other two classes. Part of these phenomena were associated with electron flow to the anode. The ion divergence angle in the gap was observed to be independent of the ion mass and to be significantly smaller than angles previously observed outside the diode.     

Surface Discharges for Soft X-Ray Preionization in Light-Ion-Fusion Accelerators

We are investigating surface discharges as extreme ultraviolet (XUV) photon sources for preionizing anode surfaces of ion diodes in light-ion-fusion accelerators. Preionization is important both to control the diode impedance and to efficiently generate an ion beam. The surface discharges and their power feeds were constructed in a strip-line configuration to minimize overall system inductance. In some cases a 0.6-?F peaking capacitor was added to the circuit as close as possible to the surface discharge. These discharges radiated peak XUV powers of over 20 MW and total energies of over 5 J when driven by a low-energy (480 J) capacitor bank. These discharges were used to preionize the anode surface in an Applied-B diode on the Nereus accelerator (500 kV,40 kA). Preionizing a cleaned LiF anode with 60 kW/cm2 of XUV photons resulted in improved beam uniformity, flatter impedance profile, and a factor of 4 more ion beam energy coupled through the diode.     

Cathode Plasma Formation in Pulsed High Current Vacuuum Diodes

Cathode plasmas in pulsed high current vacuum diodes have been studied using optical interferometry and spectroscopy. Both aluminum and graphite cathodes were used and the diode current density was varied over a factor of ten. The cathode plasma inventory was seen to increase during the length of the pulse and the plasma density was seen to increase with increasing current density. Spectral line emission from H, CI, CII, and CIII was observed when either cathode was used. It is concluded that cathode plasma expansion is dominated by protons from cathode surface contaminants.     

强流二极管阳极靶温度和热形变模拟

以电子束在靶中的能量沉积剖面为桥梁,建立了二极管阳极靶温度和热形变模拟方法。该方法可获知二极管不同工作状态下靶的温度分布和热形变情况,为靶热-力学损伤研究提供基础数据,为二极管构型设计和寿命提升提供技术支撑。将该方法应用于“强光一号”短γ二极管,计算结果显示:当阳极离子密度大于1014 cm?3时（强箍缩）,靶表面温度最高可达5500～6000 ℃,热形变量达约4.5 mm;无离子流时（弱箍缩）,温度处在4500 ℃左右,形变为2.8～3.5 mm。     

含氢电极真空弧放电等离子体时空分布特性研究

真空弧离子源在真空镀膜、材料表面改性、真空大电流开关、加速器离子注入等领域有广泛应用,目前国内外对真空弧放电等离子体的研究主要针对纯金属或合金电极,对含氢电极的研究和公开报道较少.本文利用高时空分辨的四分幅图像诊断系统,结合氢和钛原子特征线单色器件,研究了含氢钛电极的真空弧微秒级脉冲放电等离子体的轴向和径向时空分布特性.研究表明:在真空击穿阶段,阳极区域发光更为明显,阳极电极解吸附释放的氢原子是引发击穿的主要放电介质;在真空弧阶段,阴极-绝缘-真空三结合点处产生圆锥状阴极斑,喷射出大量的等离子体以维持弧放电,同时电极内壁非阴极斑区域也有少量等离子体产生,等离子体中H原子的轴向和径向空间分布均比Ti原子均匀.     

Computer Simulation of High-Power Ion Beam Generation Using the Plasma Erosion Opening Switch and Microsecond Store Systems

This paper deals with computer simulation of plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS) operation in the context of short-pulse high-power ion beam (HPIB) generation in microsecond store systems. The scaling of PEOS parameters and ion diode characteristics with various operating conditions was determined. The simulations showed the best PEOS characteristics for a hydrogen plasma (i.e., the lowest mass) with a high flow velocity and low density, although for some applications a plasma with A/Z > 1 may be preferable. It was shown that the efficiency of HPIB generation in the diode depends on its location relative to the PEOS, the time delay of anode plasma formation, the use of a spiral electrode in the PEOS region, and the use of an arrangement involving an ion return current bypass through the PEOS region. The optimization of the PEOS and ion diode with coaxial configurations and 100 kJ stored in the 600-kV Marx yielded a 16-percent overall efficiency HPIB generation in the diode, with a diode voltage and power of 4.2 MV and 0.42 TW, respectively.     

Development of an intense pulsed metallic ion beam source

Intense pulse metallic ion beams (Al⁺, Cu⁺, and Pb⁺) were produced by a magnetically insulated ion diode having a metal anode. Metal ion plasmas on the anode could be generated through enhanced electron bombardment by using a radial cathode. The energy, current density, and duration time of the lead ion beam were 30~140 keV, ~7.5 A/cm² (total ion current ⩾0.5 kA), and 800 ns, respectively. The ion current density exceeded the space-charge-limited current by a factor of 50. The lead ions in the first-to-sixth states of ionization were detected by a Thomson-parabola ion-spectrometer together with light loss, such as C⁺ and O ⁺. The ratio of the ion current of heavy metals to the total ion current was measured using a magnetic mass analyzer with a charge collector. The ratio was about 90% for a lead ion beam and 20~50% for Al and Cu ion beams     

Numerical simulation of ion beam generated in diode with anode plasma column

Ion beam generation in a high current diode with anode plasma slab has been studied. Ions are extracted from the anode plasma by a strong electric field of deep potential well (virtual cathode), arising after the propagation of relativistic electrons through the anode plasma slab. The movement of this potential well with the front part of the ion beam leads to a collective ion acceleration up to 10 MeV energy range.The authors wish to thank Dr. K. Jungwirth and Dr. J. Ullschmied for their interest and support and many helpful discussions.     

Efficiency of a planar diode with an explosive emission cathode under the conditions of delayed plasma formation

The energy and current balances in the diode unit of a high-current pulsed electron accelerator (350–500 keV, 60 ns, 250 J per pulse) are compared for an explosive emission cathode (made of graphite, copper, or carbon felt) and a multipoint (graphite or copper) cathode. The planar diode with the continuous cathode is shown to be more efficient in terms of conversion of the applied energy to electron energy (more than 90%) despite a delay in the plasma surface formation. With the impedance of the planar diode matched to the output resistance of the nanosecond generator, the efficiency of the diode does not depend on the time of plasma formation on the cathode. In the case of the graphite cathode, the plasma formation delay reduces the fraction of slow electrons in the forming electron beam and reduces electron losses in anode foil when the beam is extracted from the vacuum space of the diode chamber into the reactor.     

Generation of a submillisecond electron beam with a high-density current in a plasma-emitter diode under the conditions of open plasma boundary emission

The generation of a 250-μs-wide electron beam in a plasma-emitter diode is studied experimentally. A plasma was produced by a pulsed arc discharge in hydrogen. The electron beam is extracted from a circular emission hole 3.8 mm in diameter under open plasma boundary conditions. The beam accelerated in the diode gap enters into a drift space in the absence of an external magnetic field through a hole 4.1 mm in diameter made in the anode. The influence of electron current deposition at the edge of the anode hole on the beam’s maximum attainable current, above which the diode gap breaks down, is studied for different accelerating voltages and diode gaps. The role of processes occurring on the surface of the electrodes is shown. For an accelerating voltage of 32 kV, a mean emission current density of 130 A/cm² is achieved. The respective mean strength of the electric field in the acceleration gap is 140 kV/cm. Using the POISSON-2 software package, the numerical simulation of the diode performance is carried out and the shape of steady plasma emission boundaries in the cathode and anode holes is calculated. The influence of the density of the ion current from the anode plasma surface on the maximum attainable current of the electron beam is demonstrated.     

“闪光二号”加速器HPIB的产生及应用初步结果

主要给出了“闪光二号”加速器高功率离子束(HPIB)产生及应用研究的初步结果.介绍了强箍缩反射离子束二极管的结构及工作原理，给出了考虑阴阳极产生的等离子体运动对二极管间隙影响的饱和顺位流修正公式.实验得到的离子束峰值能量约500keV，峰值电流约160kA.介绍了利用高功率离子束(质子束)轰击¹⁹F靶产生6—7MeV准单能脉冲γ射线的初步实验结果，给出了利用高功率脉冲离子束模拟1keV黑体辐射x射线对材料的热-力学效应初步研究结果. 关键词： 高功率离子束 箍缩二极管 准单能脉冲γ射线 热-力学效应     

Extension of the gas-pressure operating range and increase in the lifetime of the plasma cathode grid of an ion source

A new scheme of a gas-discharge system is proposed for a basket-type ion source with a plasma cathode in which the electrons are emitted from the expanded anode part of a constricted hollow-cathode glow discharge bounded by a grid electrode. The modified electrode system of the ion source made it possible to enlarge the surface area of the plasma cathode grid and the aperture of its cells, thereby providing stable ion emission from the discharge plasma within a wide gas-pressure range and substantially (by one order of magnitude) increasing the grid lifetime. The operation of the plasma cathode in the free and forced emission modes is examined, and the energy efficiency of ion generation in the gas-discharge system under study is evaluated.     

分段表面放电沉积效率研究

利用一种结构紧凑的分段表面放电辐射源模块，详细研究了在不同电压、电容、气压实验条件下回路等效电阻、等效电感及放电能量沉积效率的变化规律，利用四分幅相机拍摄获得了不同实验条件下的放电等离子体通道图像，分析讨论了放电等离子体运动对放电能量沉积效率的影响，提出了提高能量放电沉积效率的有效途径。     

A Study on the Fornation Process of Cryogenic Flashover Ion Sources

To improve the purity, repetition capability, uniformity, and turn-on delay of conventional intense pulsed ion sources, a cryogenic diode was proposed a few years ago. The diode uses the plasma produced by the flashover of condensed materials on the cryogenic anode surface as an ion source. In connection with this ion source, surface flashover processes of low-temperature materials were studied and the production process of an anode plasma at a low-temperature-type ion source was discussed. Ion beam production from adsorbed materials on a porous alumina ring and condensed materials on the cooled anode was also performed.     

离子束清洗在激光薄膜中的应用

介绍了在激光薄膜中End Hall型离子源离子束清洗的应用。通过实验验证了基片的二次污染和离子束的清洗效果,观测了离子束清洗前后基片的表面形貌变化。研究了用离子束清洗基片时对薄膜抗激光损伤阈值的作用。分析了用离子束清洗基片时其基片表面的性质,如清洁度、表面能、接触角、表面形貌的变化机理。指出了杂质微粒的去除和附着力的增加是如何使薄膜抗激光损伤阈值显著提高的。     

猝发强流多脉冲电子束源物理设计

给出一台脉冲间隔100～1 000 ns、脉冲数2~5个、二极管电压3 MV、引出束流强度2.5 kA的猝发多脉冲电子束源的物理设计及初步调试结果。在设计中,采用感应叠加和阻抗匹配方案获得二极管高电压脉冲;试验中分别采用天鹅绒和大发射面储备式热阴极获得猝发多脉冲电子束。调试结果表明:采用大发射面热阴极可避免阴极等离子体产生,确保二极管在猝发多脉冲状态下稳定运行。初步调试获得大于2.7 MV猝发三脉冲二极管高压,并获得1.6 kA的三脉冲电子束流。