High current liquid metal ion source using porous tungsten multiemitters.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Physics of Plasmas
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Liquid Metal Ion Sources (LMIS) are crucial for various applications.
• Developing high-performance, stable LMIS with controllable emission is an ongoing challenge.
• Porous materials offer unique advantages for LMIS emitter design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the development of a novel indium LMIS utilizing a porous tungsten crown structure.
• To characterize the manufacturing process, emission properties, and long-term stability of the developed LMIS.
• To assess the suitability of this LMIS for space propulsion and micro/nano manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Manufacturing of a porous tungsten crown with 28 emitters using Micro-Powder Injection Molding (μPIM) and electrochemical etching.
• Characterization of emission properties, including current-voltage characteristics and homogeneity.
• Investigation of long-term operational stability.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of a 28-emitter indium LMIS with tunable currents from sub-μA to several mA.
• Demonstrated excellent emission properties due to micron-size tips and internal capillary feeding.
• Achieved significant progress in emission homogeneity and long-term stability.

Conclusions:

• The developed porous multiemitter LMIS demonstrates high performance and stability.
• This LMIS is a promising candidate for space propulsion systems.
• The technology is well-suited for micro/nano manufacturing, potentially increasing milling and drilling speeds.