An ion source apparatus which generates dopant species in a manner enabling low vapor pressure dopant source materials to be employed. The ion source apparatus (10), comprising: an ion source chamber (12); and a consumable structure in or associated with the ion source chamber (12), said consumable structure comprising a solid dopant source material susceptible to reaction with a reactive gas for release of dopant in gaseous form to the ion source chamber. For example, the consumable structure is a dopant gas feed line (14) comprising a pipe or conduit having an interior layer formed of a solid dopant source material.

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.

A negative ion source includes a plasma chamber, a microwave source, a negative ion converter, a magnetic filter and a beam formation mechanism. The plasma chamber contains gas to be ionized. The microwave source transmits microwaves to the plasma chamber to ionize the gas into atomic species including hyperthermal neutral atoms. The negative ion converter converts the hyperthermal neutral atoms to negative ions. The magnetic filter reduces a temperature of an electron density provided between the plasma chamber and the negative ion converter. The beam formation mechanism extract the negative ions.

A negative ion source includes a plasma chamber, a microwave source, a negative ion converter, a magnetic filter and a beam formation mechanism. The plasma chamber contains gas to be ionized. The microwave source transmits microwaves to the plasma chamber to ionize the gas into atomic species including hyperthermal neutral atoms. The negative ion converter converts the hyperthermal neutral atoms to negative ions. The magnetic filter reduces a temperature of an electron density provided between the plasma chamber and the negative ion converter. The beam formation mechanism extract the negative ions.

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.

A negative ion source includes a plasma chamber, a microwave source, a negative ion converter, a magnetic filter and a beam formation mechanism. The plasma chamber contains gas to be ionized. The microwave source transmits microwaves to the plasma chamber to ionize the gas into atomic species including hyperthermal neutral atoms. The negative ion converter converts the hyperthermal neutral atoms to negative ions. The magnetic filter reduces a temperature of an electron density provided between the plasma chamber and the negative ion converter. The beam formation mechanism extract the negative ions.

A negative ion source includes a plasma chamber, a microwave source, a negative ion converter, a magnetic filter and a beam formation mechanism. The plasma chamber contains gas to be ionized. The microwave source transmits microwaves to the plasma chamber to ionize the gas into atomic species including hyperthermal neutral atoms. The negative ion converter converts the hyperthermal neutral atoms to negative ions. The magnetic filter reduces a temperature of an electron density provided between the plasma chamber and the negative ion converter. The beam formation mechanism extract the negative ions.

An apparatus and method for the creation of negative ion beams is disclosed. The apparatus includes an RF ion source, having an extraction aperture. An antenna disposed proximate a dielectric window is energized by a pulsed RF power supply. While the RF power supply is actuated, a plasma containing primarily positive ions and electrons is created. When the RF power supply is deactivated, the plasma transforms into an ion-ion plasma. Negative ions may be extracted from the RF ion source while the RF power supply is deactivated. These negative ions, in the form of a negative ribbon ion beam, may be directed toward a workpiece at a specific incident angle. Further, both a positive ion beam and a negative ion beam may be extracted from the same ion source by pulsing the bias power supply multiple times each period.