A study on vacuum aspects of electron cyclotron resonance ion source plasma

Abstract

The electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source is special type hot plasma machine where the high temperature electrons co-exist with multiply charge state ions and neutrals. A few years ago 6.4 GHz. ECR ion source (VEC-ECR) was developed indigenously at VECC. This multiply charged ion source is being used continuously to inject heavy ion beams into the cyclotron. Vacuum plays the major role in ECR ion source. The water cooled plasma chamber is made from an oxygen free high conductivity copper billet to meet the suitable surface condition for vacuum purpose. The entire volume of the ion source is pumped by two 900 1/s special type oil diffusion pumps to achieve 5×10−8 Torr. Usually main plasma chamber is pumped by the plasma itself. Moreover a few 1/s additional pumping speed is provided through extraction hole and pumping slot on the extraction electrode. A study has been carried out to understand the role of vacuum on the multiply charged heavy ion production process. Considering the ion production and loss criteria, it is seen that for getting Ar18+ better vacuum is essential for lower frequency operation. So, an ECR ion source can give better charge state current output operating at higher frequency and stronger confining magnetic field under a specific vacuum condition. The low pressure condition is essential to minimize charge exchange loss due to recombination of multiply charged ions with the neutral atoms. A fixed ratio of neutral to electron density must be maintained for optimizing a particular charge state in the steady state condition. As the electron density is proportional to square of the injected microwave frequency (ne∝f2) a particular operating pressure is essential for a specific charge state. From the study, it has been obtained that the production of Ar18+ ions needs a pressure ∼ 9.6×10−8 Torr for 6.4 GHz. ECR ion source. It is also obtained that an ECR ion source, works at a particular vacuum level, can give better charge state production performance, if it operates at higher frequency and stronger magnetic confinement.