Measurements of beam current density and space potential in a highly focused ion beam of extremely low energy

Abstract

Using an electrostatic double probe, profiles of the ion beam current density, electron density, and electron temperature were measured in the background plasma that appears by injecting a hydrogen ion beam into low-pressure hydrogen gas in a propagation chamber. The hydrogen ion beam is extracted using concave-shaped electrodes at extremely low energies (Eib = 60–120 eV). Focusing of the beam occurs when Eib exceeds a certain threshold. One probe electrode P3 is far from the beam source and is set in the shadow of another electrode in the beam trajectory. The ion saturation current in P3 is then estimated without considering the beam contribution. The measured electron densities are much larger than those of the ion beam density, the electron temperatures are very low (<1 eV), and the ion beam current densities exhibit fairly good agreement with those measured by Faraday cups. The profiles of the space potential are also estimated by measuring the potential of P3 with respect to ground with a voltage divider having an extremely high resistance. The space potentials obtained are quite low at <10 eV with focusing and ∼23 eV without focusing. The data with and without focusing are compared and conditions for focusing are examined. Focusing achieved through additional electron beam injection in the ground electrode is also examined. The results obtained indicate that a large electron source is required to balance the ion charges. Secondary electron emissions and/or small electron beam injection are effective sources.