Power efficiency improvements with the radio frequency H⁻ ion source

CW 13.56 MHz radio frequency-driven H(-) ion source is under development at the University of Jyväskylä for replacing an existing filament-driven ion source at the MCC30/15 cyclotron. Previously, production of 1 mA H(-) beam, which is the target intensity of the ion source, has been reported at 3 kW of RF power. The original ion source front plate with an adjustable electromagnet based filter field has been replaced with a new front plate with permanent magnet filter field. The new structure is more open and enables a higher flux of ro-vibrationally excited molecules towards the plasma electrode and provides a better control of the potential near the extraction due to a stronger separation of the main plasma from the plasma electrode. While the original system provided better control over the e(-)/H(-) ratio, the new configuration has led to a higher production efficiency of 1 mA H(-) at 1.75 kW RF power. The latest results and upgrade plans are presented.