Gushenets Vasily, Bugaev Alexey, Oks Efim
Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk 634055, Russia.
Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Tomsk 634050, Russia.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2019 Nov 1;90(11):113309. doi: 10.1063/1.5127096.
We describe a pulsed vacuum arc ion source with a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB) cathode for high-dose selective implantation of B and B isotope ions. The design and main parameters of the source and its plasma generator are described, and research data are reported on the formation, transport, and magnetic separation of B and B ions extracted from the erosion plasma of a vacuum arc discharge. Cathode spots are initiated by flashover across an alumina ceramic block of diameter ∼2.5 mm located at the center of the working cathode. The design of the trigger system provides rather uniform cathode erosion, and the cathode dimensions (diameter of 14 mm, length of ∼15 mm) ensure long-term operation of the source. The plasma generator operates at a pulse repetition rate of up to 10 Hz with a discharge current pulse width of 280 µs. At an arc current of 130 A, the source provides an ion beam of a rectangular cross section of 0.6 × 6 cm with an energy of 25 keV and amplitude up to 75 mA. A mass analyzer magnet was used for mass-to-charge separation.
