A specific type ion source 10 includes a chamber 11; a source gas supply 12 configured to supply an O.sub.2 gas into the chamber 11; a plasma forming device 13 configured to form plasma within the chamber 11 by applying a high frequency power to the O.sub.2 gas supplied into the chamber 11; an accelerator 14 configured to extract ions of an O element included in the plasma formed within the chamber 11 to an outside of the chamber 11, and configured to accelerate the extracted ions in a direction indicated by an arrow AR14; and a sorting device 15 configured to sort out a specific type ion O.sup.− from the ions accelerated by the accelerator 14 and configured to output the sorted specific type ion in a direction indicated by an arrow AR12.

An ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) ion source includes a plasma chamber having a circular cylindrical cross-section, magnets for generating a magnetic field for confinement of the plasma in the plasma chamber, and a microwave generator disposed outside the plasma chamber and generating at least two microwave signals. Several antennas protrude radially into the plasma chamber with a predetermined angular offset α. The antennas receive phase-shifted microwave signals from the microwave generator and radiate linearly polarized microwaves, which in turn produce a circularly polarized microwave inside the plasma chamber. A method for operating an ECR ion source is also described.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of additive manufacturing that reduce or eliminates defects in the bulk deposition material microstructure resulting from the additive manufacturing process. An additive manufacturing system comprises evaporating a deposition material to form an evaporated deposition material and ionizing the evaporated deposition material to form an ionized deposition material flux. After forming the ionized deposition material flux, the ionized deposition material flux is directed through an aperture, accelerated to a controlled kinetic energy level and deposited onto a surface of a substrate. The aperture mechanism may comprise a physical, electrical, or magnetic aperture mechanism. Evaporation of the deposition material may be performed with an evaporation mechanism comprised of resistive heating, inductive heating, thermal radiation, electron heating, and electrical arc source heating.

The present invention discloses an ion beam lithography method based on an ion beam lithography system. The ion beam lithography system includes a roll-roll printer placed in a vacuum, and a medium-high-energy wide-range ion source, a medium-low-energy wide-range ion source and a low-energy ion source installed on the roll-roll printer. The ion beam lithography method includes: first coating a polyimide (PI) substrate with a dry film, etching the dry film according to a preset circuit pattern, then using the ion beam lithography system to deposit a wide-energy-range metal ion on the circuit pattern to form a film substrate, and finally stripping the dry film off the film substrate to obtain a printed circuit board (PCB).

Apparatuses and methods for an optical induced ion source are disclosed herein. An example apparatus at least includes an ionization volume arranged to receive a gas and first optical energy, the first optical energy to ionize the gas, and a channel formed between a first membrane and a second membrane, the first membrane having at least a transparent portion and the second membrane including an aperture, where the gas is provided to the ionization volume through the channel, the ionization volume formed inside the channel and adjacent to the aperture, and where the first optical energy ionizes the gas after passing through the at least transparent portion of the first membrane.

A device for generating negative ions comprises: a) an ionizer (14) including a heatable ionizer surface; b) a heater (60) for heating said ionizer whereby positive ions (30) are generated at said ionizer surface (14e); c) a target (34) including a material for generating negative ions when said positive ions impigne on said material;
wherein d) said ionizer is arranged opposite the target; e) said target is electrically negatively biased in respect to said ionizer; f) said ionizer comprises an aperture (22) through which said generated negative ions are extracted from said target to generate a beam (50) of negative ions; and
wherein g) said ionizer surface (14e) is planar.

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.

Plasma ion energy distribution for ions having different masses is controlled by controlling the relationship between a base RF frequency and a harmonic RF frequency. By the controlling the RF power frequencies, characteristics of the plasma process may be changed based on ion mass. The ions that dominate etching may be selectively based upon whether an ion is lighter or heavier than other ions. Similarly, atomic layer etch processes may be controlled such that the process may be switched between a layer modification step and a layer etch step though adjustment of the RF frequencies. Such switching is capable of being performed within the same gas phase of the plasma process. The control of the RF power includes controlling the phase difference and/or amplitude ratios between a base RF frequency and a harmonic frequency based upon the detection of one or more electrical characteristics within the plasma apparatus.

An ion source having an electrically isolated extraction plate is disclosed. By isolating the extraction plate, a different voltage can be applied to the extraction plate than to the body of the arc chamber. By applying a more positive voltage to the extraction plate, more efficient ion source operation with higher plasma density can be achieved. In this mode the plasma potential is increased, and the electrostatic sheath reduces losses of electrons to the chamber walls. By applying a more negative voltage, an ion rich sheath adjacent to the extraction aperture can be created. In this mode, conditioning and cleaning of the extraction plate is achieved via ion bombardment. Further, in certain embodiments, the voltage applied to the extraction plate can be pulsed to allow ion extraction and cleaning to occur simultaneously.

A method for improving the beam current for certain ion beams, and particularly germanium and argon, is disclosed. The use of argon as a second gas has been shown to improve the ionization of germane, allowing the formation of a germanium ion beam of sufficient beam current without the use of a halogen. Additionally, the use of germane as a second gas has been shown to improve the beam current of an argon ion beam.