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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Non-equilibrium Microwave Plasma for Efficient High Temperature Chemistry
Published on: August 1, 2017
Subcutoff microwave driven plasma ion sources for multielemental focused ion beam systems
Jose V Mathew1, Abhishek Chowdhury, Sudeep Bhattacharjee
1Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.
A novel microwave plasma ion source achieves high ion current densities for focused ion beam applications. This compact source shows superior performance using an octupole multicusp magnetic field for nanostructuring and implantation.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Engineering
Background:
- Focused ion beams are crucial for advanced material processing.
- Developing compact and efficient ion sources is essential for miniaturization and broader applications.
- Existing sources may face limitations in current density or uniformity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a compact microwave-driven plasma ion source for focused ion beam (FIB) applications.
- To investigate the performance of different gas species and magnetic field configurations.
- To evaluate the potential for multielemental FIB generation.
Main Methods:
- A compact microwave plasma ion source was designed and constructed.
- Experiments were conducted using argon, krypton, and hydrogen gas.
- Plasma characteristics were analyzed using an octupole multicusp magnetic field.
- Ion current densities were measured for various plasma electrode apertures.
Main Results:
- The octupole multicusp configuration achieved high plasma density (~1.3 x 10^11 cm^-3) and electron temperature (7-15 eV).
- Excellent radial and axial plasma uniformity was observed.
- Ion current densities from hundreds to over 1000 mA/cm^2 were achieved.
- Initial simulations for focused beams were presented.
Conclusions:
- The developed compact microwave plasma ion source demonstrates superior performance.
- The source is suitable for generating high-current-density ion beams.
- It holds promise for multielemental focused ion beam applications in nanostructuring and implantation.
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