Extracted ion current density in close-coupling multi-antenna type radio frequency driven ion source: CC-MATIS.

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• Ion Source Technology
• Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering

Background:

• High-density ion sources are crucial for various applications, including materials processing and space propulsion.
• Existing radio frequency (RF) driven ion sources face challenges in achieving high current densities and efficiencies in large volumes.
• The development of efficient and scalable ion source designs is an ongoing area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the performance of a Close-Coupling Multi-Antenna Type radio frequency (RF) driven ion source.
• To evaluate the extracted ion current density and RF net power efficiency of this novel ion source design.
• To assess the potential of multi-antenna RF plasma sources for large-volume, all-metal applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a small extractor for positive ion extraction from the ion source.
• Employed two distinct types of radio frequency (RF) antennas in the Close-Coupling Multi-Antenna Type configuration.
• Conducted experiments under standard conditions to measure extracted ion current density and RF net power efficiency.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum extracted ion current density of 0.106 A/cm(2).
• Obtained an RF net power efficiency of 11.6 mA/cm(2)/kW for the extracted ion current density.
• The performance metrics were comparable to previous multi-antenna source designs and filament-driven plasmas.

Conclusions:

• The Close-Coupling Multi-Antenna Type RF driven ion source demonstrates significant potential for generating high-density ion currents.
• The achieved efficiency indicates the viability of this design for large-volume, all-metal ion source applications.
• Further development of multi-antenna RF plasma sources could lead to advancements in ion beam technologies.