The indirectly heated cathode ion source assembly employs a cathode having a cup shaped body with a base and a cylindrical periphery, a thermal barrier having a plurality of cylindrical foils concentric to the cathode to reduce thermal loss; and a holder receiving the cathode and the thermal barrier in concentric relation.

The indirectly heated cathode ion source assembly employs a cathode having a cup shaped body with a base and a cylindrical periphery, a thermal barrier having a plurality of cylindrical foils concentric to the cathode to reduce thermal loss; and a holder receiving the cathode and the thermal barrier in concentric relation.

An ion source having dual indirectly heated cathodes is disclosed. Each of the cathodes may be independently biased relative to its respective filament so as to vary the profile of the beam current that is extracted from the ion source. In certain embodiments, the ion source is used in conjunction with an ion implanter. The ion implanter comprises a beam profiler to measure the current of the ribbon ion beam as a function of beam position. A controller uses this information to independently control the bias voltages of the two indirectly heated cathodes so as to vary the uniformity of the ribbon ion beam. In certain embodiments, the current passing through each filament may also be independently controlled by the controller.

An ion source having dual indirectly heated cathodes is disclosed. Each of the cathodes may be independently biased relative to its respective filament so as to vary the profile of the beam current that is extracted from the ion source. In certain embodiments, the ion source is used in conjunction with an ion implanter. The ion implanter comprises a beam profiler to measure the current of the ribbon ion beam as a function of beam position. A controller uses this information to independently control the bias voltages of the two indirectly heated cathodes so as to vary the uniformity of the ribbon ion beam. In certain embodiments, the current passing through each filament may also be independently controlled by the controller.

Metallic ion source for resolving the issue of not being able to produce high-density ions efficiently with small-scale ion sources in situations where an electron beam injecting scheme is employed as the evaporation source to evaporate a solid, and for producing high-density ions highly efficiently. Designed to be compact and lightweight, the metallic ion source also facilitates selection of the ion extraction direction. The ion source, structured exploiting the characteristic physical property that whether ionization takes place is dependent on the energy of the electron beam, is furnished with a dual evaporation-plasma chamber that inside the same chamber enables a high-speed electron beam, whose ionization efficiency is low, and low-speed electrons generated by electric discharge, whose ionization efficiency is high, to participate independently and simultaneously in, respectively, evaporation of precursor and ionization action.

Metallic ion source for resolving the issue of not being able to produce high-density ions efficiently with small-scale ion sources in situations where an electron beam injecting scheme is employed as the evaporation source to evaporate a solid, and for producing high-density ions highly efficiently. Designed to be compact and lightweight, the metallic ion source also facilitates selection of the ion extraction direction. The ion source, structured exploiting the characteristic physical property that whether ionization takes place is dependent on the energy of the electron beam, is furnished with a dual evaporation-plasma chamber that inside the same chamber enables a high-speed electron beam, whose ionization efficiency is low, and low-speed electrons generated by electric discharge, whose ionization efficiency is high, to participate independently and simultaneously in, respectively, evaporation of precursor and ionization action.

An arc chamber liner has first and second surfaces and a hole having a first diameter. A liner lip having a second diameter extends upwardly from the second surface toward the first surface and surrounds the hole. An electrode has a shaft with a third diameter and a head with a fourth diameter. The third diameter is less than the first diameter and passes through the body and hole and is electrically isolated from the liner by an annular gap. The head has a third surface having an electrode lip extending downwardly from the third surface toward the second surface. The electrode lip has a fifth diameter between the second and fourth diameters. A spacing between the liner and electrode lips defines a labyrinth seal to generally prevent contaminants from entering the annular gap. The shaft has an annular groove configured to accept a boron nitride seal.

An arc chamber liner has first and second surfaces and a hole having a first diameter. A liner lip having a second diameter extends upwardly from the second surface toward the first surface and surrounds the hole. An electrode has a shaft with a third diameter and a head with a fourth diameter. The third diameter is less than the first diameter and passes through the body and hole and is electrically isolated from the liner by an annular gap. The head has a third surface having an electrode lip extending downwardly from the third surface toward the second surface. The electrode lip has a fifth diameter between the second and fourth diameters. A spacing between the liner and electrode lips defines a labyrinth seal to generally prevent contaminants from entering the annular gap. The shaft has an annular groove configured to accept a boron nitride seal.

An ion generator includes an arc chamber which has a plasma generating region therein, a cathode configured to emit a thermoelectron toward the plasma generating region, a repeller which faces the cathode in an axial direction in a state where the plasma generating region is interposed between the cathode and the repeller, and a cage which is disposed to partially surround the plasma generating region at a position between an inner surface of the arc chamber and the plasma generating region.

An ion generator includes an arc chamber which has a plasma generating region therein, a cathode configured to emit a thermoelectron toward the plasma generating region, a repeller which faces the cathode in an axial direction in a state where the plasma generating region is interposed between the cathode and the repeller, and a cage which is disposed to partially surround the plasma generating region at a position between an inner surface of the arc chamber and the plasma generating region.