Provided herein are approaches for performing electrodynamic mass analysis with a radio frequency (RF) biased ion source to reduce ion beam energy spread. In some embodiments, a system may include an ion source including a power supply, the ion source operable to generate a plasma within a chamber housing, and an extraction power assembly including a first power supply and a second power supply electrically coupled with the chamber housing of the ion source, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are operable to bias the chamber housing of the ion source with a time modulated voltage to extract an ion beam from the ion source. The system may further include an electrodynamic mass analysis (EDMA) assembly operable to receive the ion beam and perform mass analysis on the ion beam.

An ion source has a vacuum envelope structure having a cylindrical portion with a lengthwise axis and an inside diameter defining an interior volume, joined at one end to a flange concentric with the axis, the cylindrical portion open by an exit aperture through the flange and open at an end opposite the flange, an RF feedthrough closing the open end of the cylindrical portion opposite the flange, creating a cylindrical interior volume open only through the exit aperture, and a magnet system carrier structure surrounding the cylindrical portion of the vacuum envelope and carrying at least one annular permanent magnet concentric with the lengthwise axis, providing a magnetic field penetrating the interior volume. The ion source is characterized in that the magnet system carrier structure is translatable along the lengthwise axis enabling variable positioning of the magnetic field in the interior volume along the lengthwise axis.

A processing system including an ion source having a plasma chamber to house a plasma, an extraction assembly, disposed along a side of the plasma chamber, and including at least one extraction aperture, and an antenna assembly extending through the plasma chamber. The antenna assembly may include a dielectric enclosure and a plurality of conductive antennas extending through the dielectric enclosure, the conductive antennas having respective gas ports formed therein for delivering a gas into the dielectric enclosure. The processing system may further include a temperature regulation system coupled to the conductive antennas and to the dielectric enclosure for monitoring a temperature of the dielectric enclosure and regulating the gas delivered to the conductive antennas for regulating the temperature of the dielectric enclosure.

An ion source uses at least one induction coil to generate ac magnetic field to couple rf/VHF power into a plasma within a vessel, where the excitation coil may be a single set of turns each turn having lobes or multiple separate sets of windings. The excitation coil is positioned outside and proximate that side of the vessel that is opposite to the extraction slit, and elongated parallel to the length dimension of the extraction slit. The conducting shield(s) positioned outside or integrated with the well of the vessel are used to block the capacitive coupling to the plasma and/or to collect any rf/VHF current may be coupled into the plasma. The conducting shield positioned between the vessel and the coil set can either shield the plasma from capacitive coupling from the excitation coils, or be tuned to have a higher rf/VHF voltage to ignite or clean the source.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a source for a processing tool. In an embodiment, the source comprises a dielectric plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface, and a cavity into the first surface of the dielectric plate. In an embodiment, the cavity comprises a third surface that is between the first surface and the second surface. In an embodiment, the source further comprises a dielectric resonator extending away from the third surface.

An apparatus for direct analysis is based on solid ablation by a plasma jet. It includes a microwave plasma system, a gas transmission system, a sample carrying system, a signal collection system and a data analysis system. In the microwave plasma system both the microwave resonant cavity and the discharge tube are connected to the microwave power source. The gas transmission system is connected to the discharge tube; the sample carrying system is located below a gas outlet of the discharge tube. The signal collection system is configured to collect a spectral signal of a sample to be tested, and is connected to the data analysis system.

Provided herein are approaches for performing electrodynamic mass analysis with a radio frequency (RF) biased ion source to reduce ion beam energy spread. In some embodiments, a system may include an ion source including a power supply, the ion source operable to generate a plasma within a chamber housing, and an extraction power assembly including a first power supply and a second power supply electrically coupled with the chamber housing of the ion source, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are operable to bias the chamber housing of the ion source with a time modulated voltage to extract an ion beam from the ion source. The system may further include an electrodynamic mass analysis (EDMA) assembly operable to receive the ion beam and perform mass analysis on the ion beam.

A single beam plasma or ion source apparatus, including multiple and different power sources, is provided. An aspect of the present apparatus and method employs simultaneous excitation of an ion source by DC and AC, or DC and RF power supplies. Another aspect employs an ion source including multiple magnets and magnetic shunts arranged in a generally E cross-sectional shape.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and methods for recycling used solid feedstocks containing lithium powders for use in lithium-ion batteries. The used solid feedstocks may be Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) materials. In some embodiments, the used solid feedstock can undergo a microwave plasma process to produce a newly usable, lithium supplemented solid precursor with augmented chemistries and physical properties.

Disclosed herein are approaches for adjusting extraction slits of an extraction plate using a set of adjustable beam blockers. In one approach, an ion extraction optics may include an extraction plate including a first opening and a second opening, and a first beam blocker extending over the first opening and a second beam blocker extending over the second opening. Each of the first and second beam blockers may include an inner slit defined by a first distance between an inner edge and the extraction plate, and an outer slit defined by a second distance between an outer edge and the extraction plate, wherein the first and second beam blockers are movable to vary at least one of the first distance and the second distance. As a result, extraction through the inner and outer slits of ion beamlets characterized by similar mean angles may be achieved.