Current status of development of ion sources in Japan from a standpoint of materials science (invited)

Abstract

The current status of development of novel ion sources for materials science in Japan is reviewed. Several types of microwave ion sources which permit a reactive gas discharge have been developed for the production of high intensity and low-charge-state ion beams. The plasma cathode technique, as an electron source, provides conventional ion sources with a long lifetime. Metal ion sources which can deliver a pure metal ion beam have been developed, extracting metal ions from a high temperature discharge chamber of large volume or a porous tip surface. A new principle metal ion source by use of a metal cluster, which consists of hundreds to thousands of metal atoms, has been developed. High current negative ion sources have been developed for both light and heavy ions, resulting from in-depth investigation of negative ion production mechanisms.