RF electron source for ionizing gas clusters
First Claim
1. An ionizer for forming a gas cluster ion beam, comprising:
- a. an inlet through which a gas cluster is injected into an ionization region;
b. an inductively coupled electromagnetic electron source for providing electrons into said ionization region;
c. an outlet through which said gas cluster ion beam passes; and
d. said ionization region, partially defined by said inlet and said outlet, wherein said electrons ionize a portion of said gas cluster to form said gas cluster ion beam.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention discloses a system and method for generating gas cluster ion beams (GCIB) having very low metallic contaminants. Gas cluster ion beam systems are plagued by high metallic contamination, thereby affecting their utility in many applications. This contamination is caused by the use of thermionic sources, which impart contaminants and are also susceptible to short lifecycles due to their elevated operating temperatures. While earlier modifications have focused on isolating the filament from the source gas cluster as much as possible, the present invention represents a significant advancement by eliminating the thermionic source completely. In the preferred embodiment, an inductively coupled plasma and ionization region replaces the thermionic source and ionizer of the prior art. Through the use of RF or microwave frequency electromagnetic waves, plasma can be created in the absence of a filament, thereby eliminating a major contributor of metallic contaminants.
38 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. An ionizer for forming a gas cluster ion beam, comprising:
-
a. an inlet through which a gas cluster is injected into an ionization region; b. an inductively coupled electromagnetic electron source for providing electrons into said ionization region; c. an outlet through which said gas cluster ion beam passes; and d. said ionization region, partially defined by said inlet and said outlet, wherein said electrons ionize a portion of said gas cluster to form said gas cluster ion beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A process for creating a gas cluster ion beam, comprising:
-
a. injecting gas clusters into an ionization region; b. using electromagnetic energy to generate a plasma; and c. directing electrons from said plasma to said ionization region, where they ionize said gas clusters. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification