title: Low-energy dc ion source for low operating pressure.
abstract: We report on an experimental study of an ion source based on a Penning discharge with a cold hollow cathode in crossed electric and magnetic fields. The minimum vacuum chamber operating pressure was 3 × 10(-5) Torr for argon and 5 × 10(-5) Torr for hydrogen. The use of a hollow cathode allowed decreasing the discharge operating voltage down to 350 V at a discharge current of ~100 mA. At a discharge current of 100 mA and beam accelerating voltage of 2 kV, the ion current was 2.5 mA for argon and 8 mA for hydrogen, and the ion beam on-axis current density 170 and 450 μA/cm(2), respectively. The current-voltage characteristics of the discharge and the radial ion beam current density distribution were measured. The influence of pressure on the discharge parameters and their time stability was investigated.
authors.affiliation: Institute of High Current Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademichesky ave. 2/3, Tomsk 634055, Russia.
authors.forename: Efim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oks
authors.affiliation: Institute of High Current Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademichesky ave. 2/3, Tomsk 634055, Russia.
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shandrikov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, C.P. 66318, CEP 05315-970 São Paulo S.P., Brazil.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salvadori
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brown