Production of multiply charged Si and Fe ions from solid materials by sputtering and evaporating methods in a 2.45 GHz ECR source

Abstract

Multicharged Si and Fe ions are produced from solid materials in a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source. The ECR plasma is confined in a magnetic mirror field superimposed on an octupole magnetic field. Ar gas is normally chosen for working gas at pressures of 10−4 to 10−3 Pa. Si and Fe ions are produced by sputtering and evaporating solid materials, which are safe and easy to handle. The Fe (or Si) target is mounted at the tip of an insulated holder and inserted into the plasma. The negative dc bias voltages are applied to the target and multicharged Fe (or Si) ions are produced. Fe filament is evaporated in the ECR plasma by direct ohmic heating, and multicharged Fe ions are produced. Multicharged ions up to Fe6+ are produced by using both methods of sputtering and evaporating and Si4+ by using the sputtering method. The maximum ratio of the Fe and Si ion currents to total Ar ion current are about 15% and 13% obtained by the sputtering method, respectively. The maximum current densities of Fe+ and Fe4+ are 1.1×10−1 and 4.1×10−4 mA/cm2 obtained by the sputtering method, respectively.