Formation of high-intensity axially symmetric and ribbon beams of low-energy metal ions.

Abstract

Low-energy metal ion beams are of considerable interest in developing a high-intensity implantation method that modifies the elemental composition, microstructure, and properties of various materials at depths many times exceeding the projective range of ions. This study presents the results of experiments on plasma-immersion formation followed by spherical and cylindrical ballistic focusing of aluminum and titanium ion beams. The features of the formation, transport, and ballistic focusing of an ion beam are discussed based on the parameters of the vacuum-arc plasma, conditions of its preliminary injection into the drift space and beam focusing, amplitude, duration, and frequency of the bias potential pulses. The optimal conditions to form high-intensity beams of metal ions purified from the macroparticle debris of a vacuum-arc with a current of higher than 1 A and a current density of up to 0.5 A/cm2 are determined.