Beam Current Density Research Articles

Study of the propagation of an intense ion beam to the target

The results of studying the intense ion beam propagation with peak energy up to 330 keV are presented. The ion beam was injected into the metal tube made from stainless steel in the form of a hollow cone. It was found that the ion beam focused due to neutralizing the space charge and reducing the divergence of ions. Neutralization of the beam space charge was investigated by measuring its electric potential. The average energy density of a beam increased up to 2.9 J/cm2 over the beam cross-section in the focal plane. The ion beam current density in the tube rose by a factor of 3 in comparison with geometric focusing. The analysis of the surface structure of the ion beam spot obtained on the stainless steel AISI 304 plate was done.

Испарение вещества с поверхности высокопрочного алюминиевого сплава при электронно-лучевой сварке

The evaporation of atoms of high-strength aluminum alloy type 1370 from the weld and the hot zone during electron beam welding of products is investigated. A mathematical model is proposed to predict the spatial distribution of temperatures and characteristics of mass loss of products depending on welding conditions. Experimental studies of these processes have been made. The results of calculations and experiments are compared. The structure of phase transformations is studied. It is established that the evaporation intensity almost linearly depends on the beam current density and its scanning speed. Experiments have shown that evaporation is active and can significantly affect the composition of the weld (mainly light elements evaporate), and its mechanical characteristics.

Controllable fabrication of hollow In2O3 nanoparticles by electron beam irradiation.

A growth strategy is presented for controllable fabrication of hollow In2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) via oxidation of In nanocrystals under electron beam irradiation. The morphology of the NPs can be tailored by changing the electron beam energy and current density. Yolk-shell NPs are preferentially formed under 200 keV electron beam irradiation, while hollow NPs are preferentially formed at 300 keV. This work confirms that electron beam irradiation is a valuable method for the engineering and modification of nanomaterials.

Design and Simulation of High-Aspect-Ratio Sheet Beam EIK at 0.22 THz

To improve the output performance of 0.22 THz extended-interaction klystrons (EIKs), we utilized a 20:1-aspect-ratio sheet beam to drive the circuit. The applicable high-frequency structure is discussed to obtain effective characteristic impedance, which is conducive to stronger beam-wave interaction. In addition, the loaded waveguide and the tuning scheme in the input cavity are proposed to provide good electric field uniformity over the whole beamwidth. Moreover, the nonuniform period output circuit based on the phase dynamic synchronization technology is optimized to further enhance power. Meanwhile, considering the feasibility of cathode performance, the beam current density in the tunnel is limited to 330 A/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> . The designed four-cavity interaction circuit is comprised of two 9-gap idler cavities and 11-gap input and output cavities. With the operating parameters of 16.2 kV beam voltage and 0.66 A beam current, the particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation predicts a stable output power of 700 W with a 39 mW input excitation. The corresponding gain and 3 dB bandwidth are 42.5 dB and 500 MHz, respectively. An asymmetric single-stage depressed collector is also designed to recover the spent beam energy from the interaction circuit. The collector efficiency is 81.1% with zero electron reflux rate while taking secondary electrons into consideration, and the overall tube efficiency is 26.9%.

Study on physical model of resist surface charge in multi-beam mask writer and single variable-shaped beam writers

NuFlare Technology, Inc. has developed the charge effect correction (CEC) system, in which the predicted placement errors caused by resist surface charge effect are compensated. Due to good reproducibility of these exposure-dose-dependent and time-dependent behaviors, CEC has successfully improved image placement accuracy in single variable-shaped electron beam mask (EBM) writers. The physical mechanism of resist charging, however, has remained unclear. Considering large difference in beam current densities between EBM and multi-beam mask writers (MBM), it is concerning that unexpected charge phenomena occur. Therefore, it is required to reveal the mechanism and to show the resist charging is still predictable in MBM by a common charging model. In order to provide validity of CEC consistently with EBM and MBM, the surface charge densities caused in EBM writers and MBM-2000 were experimentally evaluated from those placement errors. The charge densities strongly depend on the resist thickness meanwhile they do not change significantly by the writers. Furthermore, equations to reproduce those experimental results are proposed in terms of a physical model, which takes into account low-energy secondary electrons drawn to resist surface by an already-existing surface charge and vertical flow of the charge in the resist.

Energy density distribution of a modulated electron beam in a source with a plasma cathode based on a low pressure arc

The article presents the results of studies devoted to the study of the energy density distribution in the amplitude-modulated regime of electron beam generation. It is shown that in the first ≈ 50 μs of the duration of the beam current pulse, its spatial rearrangement occurs, due to the development of the arc discharge current. Thus, the rearrangement of the arc current, which develops from the axis of the system, leads to an axial diving of the emission current density and the beam current density on the target. With the development of the arc current, the energy density on the target on the axis of the system decreases and after ≈ 50 μs takes on a steady-state value, which can change only as a result of a change in the conditions for generating an electron beam or the transition to a modulated regime of electron beam generation. It has been experimentally shown using calorimetric measurements that the shape of the electron beam current pulse with its amplitude modulation with a pulse duration of more than 100 μs has little effect on the distribution of the beam energy density in the target region.

Time behavior of an electron beam current pulse in the axial and peripheral zones of an anode in vacuum and gas-filled diodes

The study of the time behavior of a current pulse of an electron beam generated during a high-voltage nanosecond discharge in gas-filled and vacuum diodes has been carried out. As follows from the experimental results, in both cases, the distribution of the beam current density in the plane of a grounded anode is non-uniform. The highest beam current density is recorded in the axial part of the anode. It was established that in the case of a gas-filled diode, ~ 2 ns after the onset of the beam current pulse, its shape in the axial anode zone changes relative to that in the peripheral one. It is assumed that the most probable reason for this is the effect of compensation of the charge of the beam electrons by the positive charge of ions arising in the ionization process in the paraxial zone.

Characterization of a Multicusp Ion Source With Two-Grid Extraction System for Studying Extraction and Transport of Ion Beam

A low-energy multipole line cusp ion source with two-grid extraction system has been developed and characterized for studying the role of the charge exchange processes on ion beam extraction, transport, and neutralization. The ion source is operated for extraction of Ar <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> ion beam of current 50–240 mA at energies 850–1650 eV. The characterization of the ion beam is carried out at various axial positions along a 200–815-mm beam path with a background pressure of 4– <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$20\times10$ </tex-math></inline-formula> <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">−5</sup> Torr. An 11-channel Faraday cup array is used to measure the radial profiles of ion current density and angular beam divergence at these positions. The beam divergences are found to be in the range of 6°–15° for beam perveance of 0.50– <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3.75\times10$ </tex-math></inline-formula> <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">−9</sup> AV <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">−3/2</sup> . The attenuation of ion beam current along the beam path is observed due to the charge exchange neutralization of the energetic ions in the presence of high background pressure. Since ion current density along the beam path can be reduced by both the charge exchange processes and beam divergence, the accounting of beam particles, i.e., energetic ions and neutrals, at larger distances is difficult by the measurements of ion current density using the Faraday cup alone. The flux of energetic particles (energetic ions and fast neutrals) is therefore obtained by a thrust measurements on a beam target fixed at a distance of 800 mm from the ion source. The neutralization of the ion beam obtained by the emission of electrons from a hot filament neutralizer is also investigated in the presence of the charge exchange processes. Space-charge neutralization is provided initially by the secondary electrons emitted from the vessel walls or by the charge exchange processes even without the neutralizer operating at the desired temperature. However, the current neutralization is achieved only by the electrons emitted from the hot filament neutralizer operating in a space-charge-limited mode.

Sputtering of Oxides from LaNi5 Surface

The changes in chemical composition of the intermetallic alloy LaNi5 surface monolayers were studied using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) in the process of the alloy interaction with oxygen. The investigated samples were pellets made by pressing the fine-grained LaNi5 alloy. Ar+ ions having energies of 10-18 keV were used as primary ions. The primary beam current density was 9-17 μA·cm-2, which corresponds to the dynamic SIMS mode. The emission intensities of secondary ions were measured within the dynamic range of at least 6 orders of magnitude. Before the measurements, the samples were annealed in residual vacuum at a temperature of ~ 1000 K. After the annealing, the sample surface was cleaned using the primary ion beam until the mass-spectrum composition and secondary ion emission intensity stabilized completely. The gas phase composition was monitored using a gas mass spectrometer. The conducted studies showed that a complex chemical structure including oxygen, lanthanum, and nickel is formed on the surface and in the near-surface region of LaNi5 as a result of its exposure to oxygen. Oxygen forms strong chemical bonds in such a structure with both components of the alloy. This is evidenced by the presence of a large set of oxygen containing emissions of positive and negative secondary ions with lanthanum, with nickel, and oxygen containing lanthanum-nickel cluster secondary ions in mass spectra. The resulting oxide compounds have a bulk structure and occupy dozens of monolayers. In such a bulk oxide structure, the outer monolayers are characterized by the highest ratio of oxygen atom number to the number of matrix atoms. This ratio decreases along the transition from the surface to the underlying monolayers. This process occurs uniformly, without any phase transformation. The observed secondary ions are not a product of association between sputtered surface fragments and oxygen in the gas phase at the fly-off stage after sputter-ejection, but they are products of the oxide compounds being sputtered, hence they characterize the composition of surface and near-surface region.

Optimization of 2.45 GHz microwave coupling depending on axial magnetic field profiles and impedance transformer in electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The optimization of 2.45 GHz microwave coupling in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source is investigated through experiments and full wave simulation studies. The axial magnetic field profile and an impedance transformer are the two major factors affecting the optimum power coupling. Experimental observations have shown that the beam current density increases when the two ECR zones are located in the plasma chamber and when the first ECR zone is close to the RF entrance. A coupling study with various magnetic field profiles finds that the gap distance between the RF window and first ECR zone and the effective ECR zone width determines the coupling efficiency. Optimum power coupling is obtained under the condition of an appropriately slight gap distance comparable to the half width of the effective ECR zone. The extracted beam current density increases when the second ECR zone becomes closer to the plasma grid. With the optimized axial magnetic field profile, impedance transformers are designed in consideration of reflection coefficient with respect to the plasma density. The performance of the impedance transformers is experimentally evaluated in terms of the efficiency (mA/W) with the findings consistent with the results of a simulation. The highest beam current density (∼165 mA/cm2) in these experiments is achieved with the optimized axial magnetic profile and the impedance transformer.

Modeling intense-electron-beam generated plasmas using a rigid-beam approximation

A model of an electron-beam–plasma system is introduced to model the electrical breakdown physics of low-pressure nitrogen irradiated by an intense pulsed electron beam. The rapidly rising beam current induces an electric field, which drives a return current in the plasma. The rigid-beam model is a reduction of the problem geometry to cylindrical coordinates and simplifications to Maxwell's equations that are driven by a prescribed electron beam current density. The model is convenient for comparing various reductions of the plasma dynamics and plasma chemistry while maintaining a good approximation to the overall magnitude of the beam-created electric field. The usefulness of this model is demonstrated by coupling the rigid-beam model to a fluid plasma model and a simplified nitrogen plasma chemistry. The dynamics of this coupled system are computed for a range of background gas pressures, and the results are compared with experimental measurements. At pressures 1 Torr and above, the simulated line-integrated electron densities are within a factor of two of measurements and show the same trend with pressure as observed in experiment.

Investigation of variable aperture on the performance and lifetime of ion thruster

Beam flatness is an important parameter that determines the performance and the lifetime of a gridded ion thruster. To improve the beam flatness of the 30 cm (LIPS-300) ion thruster, variable aperture ion optics that adapts to the decreasing ion density as the radius increases is proposed. It is the ion optics that the screen grid surface is divided into several zones, where the aperture diameter in each zone is determined by the ion density and the electron temperature upstream of the screen grid. The beam current density in the central area is artificially reduced. A particle in cell-Monte Carlo collision model is applied in this work to investigating the effect of variable aperture on the perveance and the maximum beam current per aperture by simulating the extraction, focusing and acceleration processes of ions. Taking into account the engineering implementability, the screen grid surface is divided into four zones. The hole diameter in each zone is decreased from 1.95 mm to 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, 1.8 mm and 1.7 mm, respectively. The simulation results show that the maximum ion density in the center area of grid is decreased by 10.6% and 6.99%, while it is increased by 6.49% and 22.3% in the edge region, respectively. The beam flatness of the variable aperture ion optics is improved from 0.69 to 0.88. The erosion rate is decreased by 31.9%, but the total beam current is also decreased by 7.15%. The simulation results can provide a valuable reference of the development of the ion thruster.

Experiment for Evaluating a K-Band Space TWT Electron Beam

The electron beam of a K-band space traveling-wave tube (TWT) has been investigated in a beam measurement system in this article. The primary beam emitted from a Pierce-type electron gun is scanned by a Faraday cup probe, and the beam current density distribution and envelope are determined. The spent beam is also diagnosed with a novel retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA) by using the monopulse measurement method, and a comparison of velocity distribution between the experimental result and simulation is presented.

Characterization of a high-resolution 2D transmission ion chamber for independent validation of proton pencil beam scanning of conventional and FLASH dose delivery.

Ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) radiotherapy has become a popular research topic with the potential to reduce normal tissue toxicities without losing the benefit of tumor control. The development of FLASH proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) delivery requires accurate dosimetry despite high beam currents with correspondingly high ionization densities in the monitoring chamber. In this study, we characterized a newly designed high-resolution position sensing transmission ionization chamber with a purpose-built multichannel electrometer for both conventional and FLASH dose rate proton radiotherapy. The dosimetry and positioning accuracies of the ion chamber were fully characterized with a clinical scanning beam. On the FLASH proton beamline, the cyclotron output current reached up to 350 nA with a maximum energy of 226.2MeV, with 210±3nA nozzle pencil beam current. The ion recombination effect was characterized under various bias voltages up to 1000V and different beam intensities. The charge collected by the transmission ion chamber was compared with the measurements from a Faraday cup. Cross-calibrated with an Advanced Markus chamber (PTW, Freiburg, Germany) in a uniform PBS proton beam field at clinical beam setting, the ion chamber calibration was 38.0 and 36.7 GyE·mm2 /nC at 100 and 226.2MeV, respectively. The ion recombination effect increased with larger cyclotron current at lower bias voltage while remaining ≤0.5±0.5% with ≥200V of bias voltage. Above 200V, the normalized ion chamber readings demonstrated good linearity with the mass stopping power in air for both clinical and FLASH beam intensities. The spot positioning accuracy was measured to be 0.10±0.08mm in two orthogonal directions. We characterized a transmission ion chamber system under both conventional and FLASH beam current densities and demonstrated its suitability for use as a proton pencil beam dose and spot position delivery monitor under FLASH dose rate conditions.

First beam extraction experiment from a prototype filament-arc driven negative ion source

A prototype negative ion source has been designed and constructed, in order to initialize investigations on physical and engineering problems of a negative ion source which is a key component of a negative-ion-based neutral beam injector. Driven by filament-arc discharge, experiments have been carried out to validate that this ion source is able to produce and extract negative ions. In pure hydrogen discharge without Cesium (Cs), diagnostics by a single Langmuir probe indicates that electron temperate is around 0.5-0.7 eV at the beam extraction region and the strength of the filter field is enough to cool electrons down. By applying extraction and acceleration voltages to the accelerator, beam extraction experiment has been performed. The maximum acceleration current with Cs reaches 1.22 A, corresponding a beam current density of 6.42 mA/cm2. The current ratio of electrons to negative ions is 0.28 – 0.44 depending on the arc power. The arc efficiency is affected by the partial pressure of water, increment in which brings decrement in arc efficiency.

Direct Visualization of the Earliest Stages of Crystallization.

Investigating the earliest stages of crystallization requires the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and is particularly challenging for materials which can be affected by the electron beam. Typically, when imaging at magnifications high enough to observe local crystallinity, the electron beam's current density must be high to produce adequate image contrast. Yet, minimizing the electron dose is necessary to reduce the changes caused by the beam. With the advent of a sensitive, high-speed, direct-detection camera for a TEM that is corrected for spherical aberration, it is possible to probe the early stages of crystallization at the atomic scale. High-quality images with low contrast can now be analyzed using new computing methods. In the present paper, this approach is illustrated for crystallization in a Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST-225) phase-change material which can undergo particularly rapid phase transformations and is sensitive to the electron beam. A thin (20 nm) film of GST-225 has been directly imaged in the TEM and the low-dose images processed using Python scripting to extract details of the nanoscale nuclei. Quantitative analysis of the processed images in a video sequence also allows the growth of such nuclei to be followed.

A Carbon Nanotube-Based Hundred Watt-Level Ka-Band Backward Wave Oscillator

Carbon nanotube (CNT) cold-cathodes hold much promise in a variety of millimeter-wave and terahertz vacuum electronic radiation devices due to their inherent near instantaneous temporal turn-on and near-ideal ideal field electron emission performance. Here we report on the development of a CNT cold-cathode Ka -band backward-wave oscillator (BWO). Using a novel beam compression stage, theoretical studies, simulation results, and empirical findings collectively demonstrate that this device affords an unprecedentedly high output power of 230 W at a technologically important operating frequency of 33.65 GHz. The developed magnetic injection electron gun achieves a high emission current of 265.5 mA (emission current density of 188.3 mA/cm2) and a high focused beam current density of 18.5 A/cm2, which our studies suggest, is essential to the BWOs high output power.

Toward Next Generation Plasmonic Nanopore Slit Platform with a ~10 nm Slit-Width

We fabricated various nanoaperture plasmonic platforms for single-molecule detection. We fabricated nanoapertures like nanopores on a pyramid and nanoslits on an Au flat membrane using a Ga ion focused ion beam drilling technique, followed by irradiating with a high energy electron beam, dependent on the electron beam current density to obtain nanoapertures with a few nanometer sizes (circular nanopore, nanoslit pores). We examined their optical characteristics with varying aperture sizes and sample thicknesses. We obtained broad emission spectra in the visible and infrared region from the (7 x 7) slit array and a sharp, strong infrared emission peak from the Au nanoparticle on the substrate. The fabricated Au platform with ~10 nm nanometer opening can be employed as a single-molecule sensor and an infrared thermal emission device.

The ordering effects of an n-Si defect structure, induced by high fluences of ions with MeV energies

The results of studies of the structural and optical properties of silicon irradiated with light ions of MeV energies with fluences exceeding 1016 cm–2 are generalized. The structure of silicon irradiated with ions is con ventionally divided into several regions (ion path, braking, and outside the braking region), the kind of which is determined by the type of ions, their mass, energy, and temperature during irradiation. It is established that the irradiation with high fluences of light ions of MeV energies causes the formation of ordered layers in the bulk of silicon at depths up to several hundred microns, associated with defects whose properties differ from those of the matrix. It is shown that, under such irradiation conditions, the nature of the defect formation (the number and width of the revealed ordered linear structures and their location relative to the braking region of ions) depends on the mass and energy of ions, the ion beam intensity, the irradiation temperature, and the crystal properties. The effect of the ordering of defects in the form of stress lines and their propagation outside the braking region was discovered, when silicon was irradiated with ions of both hydrogen and helium. It is found that this effect depends on the irradiation intensity and occurs, only when the beam current density is less than 0.45 μA/cm2. It is established that, for silicon irradiated with helium ions in the region of ion path, characteristic is not the monocrystalline, but fragmentary structure, which has an aggregate of ordered stress lines (associated with defects) located in parallel to the braking band of helium ions, and the braking band consists of voids etched as a continuous layer and in the form of separate clusters. It is revealed that the irradiation of dis location silicon with deuterium ions leads to the movement of dislocations during the irradiation and to their crossing of the deuteron braking line due to the formation of stacking faults.

蓝宝石表面纳米结构随杂质靶距离的演化

Electron cyclotron resonance ion source has been employed to etch the surface of sapphire (C-cut), introducing metallic stainless steel impurities to investigate the evolution law and optical properties of the self-organized nanostructure on the sapphire surface at different target distances. The atomic force microscope was used to observe the morphological changes of the sample surface, the Taylor Surf CCI 2000 white light interference surface measuring instrument was used to measure the surface roughness; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was selected to characterize the chemical composition. The experimental results indicate that, with the ion beam energy of 1000 eV, the beam current density of 487 μA/cm2, the oblique incident angle of 65°, and the erosion duration of 60 min, the distance between the sapphire sample and the impurity target increases from 1 cm to 4 cm, island-like structures appear on the sample surface and gradually evolve into continuous ripple structures. At the same time, as the target distance increases, the orderliness of the self-organized nanostructures enhances, the longitudinal height gradually decreases, while the spatial frequency is unchanged. There are very few metal impurities on the etched sample surface. The appearance of microstructures has antireflection effect on sapphire. During the ion beam sputtering process, island-like structures promotes the growth of ripple nanostructures but destroys orderliness.