A system includes an ion source configured to generate ions having a first polarity, one or more extraction electrodes configured to extract the ions from the ion source as an ion beam having an extraction energy, a mass resolving slit or aperture configured to select a desired isotope from the ion beam such that a desired isotopic ion beam passes through the mass resolving slit or aperture, a target positioned relative to the mass resolving slit or aperture so that the desired isotopic ion beam is incident on the target, and a voltage source coupled to the target and configured to hold the target at a first voltage having the first polarity. The first voltage causes a reduction of the extraction energy as the desired isotopic ion beam approaches the target to minimize sputtering and maximize collection of the ions on the target to reconstitute an ionized material.

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.

An ion beam lens and methods for combining ion beams are disclosed. Embodiments combine hyperthermal ion beams and can include layered three-dimensional electrodes with passageways through the electrodes, each electrode having a specified DC voltage and each passageway configured for passing an ion beam to an exit, the velocity vectors of the beams being primarily oriented along the lens' central axis upon exiting the passageways. Embodiments include nested electrode plates with curved ion beam passageways. In some embodiments each electrode plate has a charge different from the electrode plates adjacent to it, and in some embodiments every other electrode plate is charged with a first DC voltage and the remaining plates are charged with a second DC voltage different from the first DC voltage.

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.

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.

A system may include a substrate stage to support a substrate, and a plurality of beam sources. The plurality of beam sources may include an ion beam source, the ion beam source arranged to direct an ion beam to the substrate, and a radical beam source, the radical beam source arranged to direct a radical beam to the substrate. The system may include a controller configured to control the ion beam source and the radical beam source to operate independently of one another, in at least one aspect, wherein the at least one aspect includes beam composition, beam angle of incidence, and relative scanning of a beam source with respect to the substrate.

A soft-landing (SL) instrument for depositing ions onto substrates using a laser ablation source is described herein. The instrument of the instant invention is designed with a custom drift tube and a split-ring ion optic for the isolation of selected ions and is capable of operating at atmospheric pressure. The drift tube allows for the separation and thermalization of ions formed after laser ablation through collisions with an inert bath gas that allow the ions to be landed at energies below 1 eV onto substrates. The split-ring ion optic is capable of directing ions toward the detector or a landing substrate for selected components.

A method of extracting and accelerating ions is provided. The method includes providing a ion source. The ion source includes a chamber. The ion source further includes a first hollow cathode having a first hollow cathode cavity and a first plasma exit orifice and a second hollow cathode having a second hollow cathode cavity and a second plasma exit orifice, the first and second hollow cathodes being disposed adjacently in the chamber. The ion source further includes a first ion accelerator between and in communication with the first plasma exit orifice and the chamber. The first ion accelerator forms a first ion acceleration cavity. The ion source further includes a second ion accelerator between and in communication with the second plasma orifice and the chamber. The second ion accelerator forms a second ion acceleration cavity. The method further includes generating a plasma using the first hollow cathode and the second hollow cathode. The first hollow cathode and the second hollow cathode are configured to alternatively function as electrode and counter-electrode. The method further includes extracting and accelerating ions. Each of the first ion acceleration cavity and the second ion acceleration cavity are sufficient to enable the extraction and acceleration of ions.

An ion source apparatus has a body, a heat dissipating base, at least two supporting shafts, a guiding block, and a shunt. The body has a holding chamber formed inside the body. The heat dissipating base is located in the holding chamber of the body. The at least two supporting shafts are mounted through the heat dissipating base. The guiding block is mounted on the at least two supporting shafts, and is a hollow circular block. The shunt is located at a center of a top surface of the heat dissipating base, and is located below the mounting hole of the guiding block.

A system may include a substrate stage to support a substrate, and a plurality of beam sources. The plurality of beam sources may include an ion beam source, the ion beam source arranged to direct an ion beam to the substrate, and a radical beam source, the radical beam source arranged to direct a radical beam to the substrate. The system may include a controller configured to control the ion beam source and the radical beam source to operate independently of one another, in at least one aspect, wherein the at least one aspect includes beam composition, beam angle of incidence, and relative scanning of a beam source with respect to the substrate.