Preliminary experimental results on an excimer laser ion source

Abstract

A multicharged ion source produced by using an excimer laser has been realized at the Laboratory of Applied Electronics. A simple and easy time-of-flight detection system has been developed to monitor the ions ejected during the pulsed laser ablation of solid targets. The detection device is composed of a Faraday cup, having in front of it a suppressor electrode and a suitable electrostatic voltage barrier. The Faraday cup signal depends on potential barrier values and yields significant information about the ion fluxes and the kinetic energies of the particles generated. The behaviour of the plasma ion pulse on the lens focal length used to focus the laser beam onto the target is also presented.