A source assembly for ion beam production is disclosed herein. An example source assembly may include a pair of plates separated by a distance, with each plate having an aperture, and the respective apertures aligned, and an ionization space defined at least by the distance and the respective apertures, where a ratio of the distance to an ionic mean free path of a gas in the ionization space is greater than one.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ion beam apparatus switches between an operation mode of performing irradiation with an ion beam most including H.sub.3.sup.+ ions and an operation mode of performing irradiation with an ion beam most including ions heavier than the H.sub.3.sup.+.

An ion source with an insertable target holder for holding a solid dopant material is disclosed. The insertable target holder includes a pocket or cavity into which the solid dopant material is disposed. When the solid dopant material melts, it remains contained within the pocket, thus not damaging or degrading the arc chamber. Additionally, the target holder can be moved from one or more positions where the pocket is at least partially in the arc chamber to one or more positions where the pocket is entirely outside the arc chamber. In certain embodiments, a sleeve may be used to cover at least a portion of the open top of the pocket.

Provided is an ion implantation method. An ion implantation method according to an embodiment of the inventive concept may include providing a host material and a target into a chamber, the target comprising a first material; irradiating the target with a laser to generate an ion beam; and irradiating the host material with the ion beam to dope the host material with the first material, wherein while the host material is irradiated with the ion beam, the host material is rotated.

Methods, apparatuses, systems and software for ion beam milling or machining are disclosed. The apparatus includes a specimen holder, a table, one or more ion sources, rotatable ion optics, and an imaging device. The specimen holder is configured to hold a specimen in a stationary position during milling or machining. The table is configured to change the stationary position of the specimen holder in any of three orthogonal linear directions and an angular direction. The rotatable ion optics are configured to emit an ion beam towards a predetermined location on the specimen from any of the one or more ion sources at any angle around an axis that is orthogonal to a horizontal surface of the table when the angular direction of the table is 0. The imaging device is configured to generate an image of the specimen including the predetermined location, thereby enabling real-time monitoring of the milling or machining process.

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.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ion beam apparatus switches between an operation mode of performing irradiation with an ion beam most including H.sub.3.sup.+ ions and an operation mode of performing irradiation with an ion beam most including ions heavier than the H.sub.3.sup.+.

A source assembly for ion beam production is disclosed herein. An example source assembly may include a pair of plates separated by a distance, with each plate having an aperture, and the respective apertures aligned, and an ionization space defined at least by the distance and the respective apertures, where a ratio of the distance to an ionic mean free path of a gas in the ionization space is greater than one.

Methods, apparatuses, systems and software for ion beam milling or machining are disclosed. The apparatus includes a specimen holder, a table, one or more ion sources, rotatable ion optics, and an imaging device. The specimen holder is configured to hold a specimen in a stationary position during milling or machining. The table is configured to change the stationary position of the specimen holder in any of three orthogonal linear directions and an angular direction. The rotatable ion optics are configured to emit an ion beam towards a predetermined location on the specimen from any of the one or more ion sources at any angle around an axis that is orthogonal to a horizontal surface of the table when the angular direction of the table is 0. The imaging device is configured to generate an image of the specimen including the predetermined location, thereby enabling real-time monitoring of the milling or machining process.

A source assembly for producing an ion beam and comprising a collision ionization ion source having: A pair of stacked plates, sandwiched about an intervening gap; An ionization space between said plates, connected to a gas supply duct; An input zone, provided in a first of said plates, to admit an input beam of charged particles to said ionization space; An output aperture, located opposite said input zone and provided in the second of said plates, to allow emission of a flux of ions produced in said ionization space by said input beam,
which source assembly comprises: A carrier provided with a plurality of different collision ionization ion sources that mutually differ in respect of a gap height d between said plates; A selecting device, which allows a given one of said ion sources to be individually selected for production of said ion beam. The various sources in said plurality preferably have a scattering quotient Q.sub.S=d/l.sub.i with a value in a range 1-500, preferably in a range 1-200, where l.sub.i is an ionic mean free path length in said ionization space.