An ion source for extracting a ribbon ion beam with improved height uniformity is disclosed. Gas nozzles are disposed in the chamber proximate the extraction aperture. The gas that is introduced near the extraction aperture serves to shape the ribbon ion beam as it is being extracted. For example, the height of the ribbon ion beam may be reduced by injecting gas above and below the ion beam so as to compress the extracted ion beam in the height direction. In some embodiments, the feedgas is introduced near the extraction aperture. In other embodiments, a shield gas, such as an inert gas, is introduced near the extraction aperture.

An ion source capable of extracting a ribbon ion beam with improved vertical angular uniformity is disclosed. The extraction plate and extraction optics are designed such that there is at least one non-uniform gap between adjacent components. A non-uniform gap may be effective in reducing angular spread non-uniformity of the extracted ribbon ion beam. Specifically, for a given gap in the Z direction, ions extracted from regions with lower plasma density may have more vertical angular spread. A larger gap in the Z direction between components in this region may make the vertical angular spread closer to the vertical angular spread of ions extracted from regions with higher plasma density. The non-uniform gap may be created by having an extraction plate that is flat or curved and electrodes that are flat, convex or concave. In certain embodiments, the non-uniform gap is located between the extraction plate and the suppression electrode.

An ion source for extracting a ribbon ion beam with improved height uniformity is disclosed. Gas nozzles are disposed in the chamber proximate the extraction aperture. The gas that is introduced near the extraction aperture serves to shape the ribbon ion beam as it is being extracted. For example, the height of the ribbon ion beam may be reduced by injecting gas above and below the ion beam so as to compress the extracted ion beam in the height direction. In some embodiments, the feedgas is introduced near the extraction aperture. In other embodiments, a shield gas, such as an inert gas, is introduced near the extraction aperture.

A liquid metal ion source, in particular an ion thruster for propulsion of a spacecraft, comprises a reservoir for the liquid metal, an emitter penetrating a front wall of the reservoir for drawing liquid metal from the reservoir and emitting ions of the liquid metal, and an extractor supported with respect to the reservoir and facing the emitter for extracting and accelerating the ions from the emitter, wherein the reservoir is provided with advancing means for creating an electromagnetic field within the liquid metal in the reservoir to exert a force on the liquid metal in a direction towards the emitter.

An ion source having an extraction plate with a variable thickness is disclosed. The extraction plate has a protrusion on its interior or exterior surface proximate the extraction aperture. The protrusion increases the thickness of the extraction aperture in certain regions. This increases the loss area in those regions, which serves as a sink for ions and electrons. In this way, the plasma density is decreased more significantly in the regions where the extraction aperture has a greater thickness. The shape of the protrusion may be modified to achieve the desired plasma uniformity. Thus, it may be possible to create an extracted ion beam having a more uniform ion density. In some tests, the uniformity of the beam current along the width direction was improved by between 20% and 50%.

An ion source has an arc chamber having first and second ends and an aperture plate to enclose a chamber volume. An extraction aperture is disposed between the first and second ends. A cathode is near the first end of the arc chamber, and a repeller is near the second end. A generally U-shaped first bias electrode is on a first side of the extraction aperture within the chamber volume. A generally U-shaped second bias electrode is on a second side of the extraction aperture within the chamber volume, where the first and second bias electrodes are separated by a first distance proximate to the extraction aperture and a second distance distal from the extraction aperture. An electrode power supply provides a first and second positive voltage to the first and second bias electrodes, where the first and second positive voltages differ by a predetermined bias differential.

The invention generally relates to sample analysis systems and methods of use thereof. In certain aspects, the invention provides a system for analyzing a sample that includes an ion generator configured to generate ions from a sample. The system additionally includes an ion separator configured to separate at or above atmospheric pressure the ions received from the ion generator without use of laminar flowing gas, and a detector that receives and detects the separated ions.

Provided is an ion beam processing apparatus including an ion generation chamber, a processing chamber, and electrodes to form an ion beam by extracting ions generated in the ion generation chamber to the processing chamber. The electrodes includes a first electrode disposed close to the ion generation chamber and provided with an ion passage hole to allow passage of the ions, and a second electrode disposed adjacent to the first electrode and closer to the processing chamber than the first electrode is, and provided with an ion passage hole to allow passage of the ions. The apparatus also includes a power unit which applies different electric potentials to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively, so as to accelerate the ions generated by an ion generator in the ion generation chamber. A material of the first electrode is different from a material of the second electrode.

The invention generally relates to sample analysis systems and methods of use thereof. In certain aspects, the invention provides a system for analyzing a sample that includes an ion generator configured to generate ions from a sample. The system additionally includes an ion separator configured to separate at or above atmospheric pressure the ions received from the ion generator without use of laminar flowing gas, and a detector that receives and detects the separated ions.

A charged particle beam source for a surface processing apparatus is disclosed. The charged particle beam source comprises: a plasma chamber; a plasma generation unit adapted to convert an input gas within the plasma chamber into a plasma containing charged particles; and a grid assembly adjacent an opening of the plasma chamber. The grid assembly comprises one or more grids each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, the one or more grids being electrically biased in use so as to accelerate charged particles from the plasma through the grid(s) to thereby output a charged particle beam, the major axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the grid assembly. The transmissivity of the or each grid to the charged particles is defined by the relative proportion of aperture area to non-aperture area, and at least one of the grids has a transmissivity which varies across the grid along a first direction, the transmissivity being lower adjacent a first extremity of the grid than adjacent a second extremity of the grid opposite the first extremity, the first direction lying parallel to the plane of the grid assembly, such that in use the charged particle beam output by the source has a non-uniform charged particle current density profile in a plane parallel to the plane of the grid assembly which varies along the first direction, the charged particle current density being lower adjacent a first edge of the beam than adjacent a second edge of the beam opposite the first edge.