Effect of a metal–dielectric structure introduced in the plasma chamber of the Frankfurt 14 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source

A new approach of the possibility to significantly increase the high charge state ion beams delivered by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources by using metal–dielectric (MD) structures characterized by high secondary electron emission properties is presented. The intensities of argon ion beams extracted from the 14 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source of the Institut für Kernphysik (IKF) der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt/Main were measured when a 26 mm diam disk of a specially treated MD structure ( Al–Al 2 O 3 ) was introduced axially close to the ECR plasma. The Ar beam intensities and charge-state distributions obtained with this disk are compared to measurements with disks of iron and pure aluminum at the same position relative to the plasma. All measurements were performed with the disk at the plasma chamber potential. The results with the MD structure show a net shift of the beam intensity towards higher charge states as compared with the other disk materials. Enhancement factors of the beam current of up to 10 (for Ar 12+ ) when using a MD disk compared to the output when using an aluminum disk and up to 40 (for Ar 11+ ) when using an iron disk were measured.