The preliminary test of multi-charged ions generation with a 2.45 GHz microwave-driven ion source.

A 2.45 GHz microwave-driven ion source for the generation of multicharged ions has been designed and built at Peking University recently. The magnetic field configuration of this ion source is a minimum-B type with a combination of a hexapole field and an axial mirror field. Argon was selected as the first tested beam generated by this ion source. A 63 µA Ar4+ ion beam at 35 kV extraction voltage was obtained in the pulsed mode (50 Hz/500 µs). Without the hexapole magnetic field, the highest charge state was only Ar2+, and no Ar4+ ion beam was detected. The comparison between the two sets of experimental results with different magnetic configurations has proven the rationality of the production of multicharged ions with this ion source. Both experimental results and discussion will be presented in this paper.

A miniaturized ECR plasma flood gun for wafer charge neutralization.

In modern ion implanters, a plasma flood gun (PFG) is used to neutralize wafer charge during the doping process, preventing the breakdown of floating wafers caused by the space charge accumulation. Typically, there are two kinds of PFGs, namely, dc arc discharge with filament and RF discharge. As a PFG, the filament one has limited lifetime and cannot avoid metallic contamination because of the thermal emitting filament. RF discharge PFG has been developed to solve these problems, including prolonging the source lifetime and avoiding metal pollution. Recently, a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source is also regarded as a potential choice for PFG. However, the dimension of the 2.45 GHz ECR source system including the size of the source itself and its meter's length RF subsidiary limits its application within an ion implanter. At Peking University, a miniaturized 2.45 GHz permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance plasma flood gun with a coaxial RF transmission line has been built and tested. The dimensions of the ECR source body are Φ60 mm × Φ88 mm with a Φ30 mm × Φ40 mm plasma chamber. Its RF transmission line consists of a 200 W microwave generator, a 30 cm coaxial line, a 7 cm coaxial-to-waveguide transducer, and a microwave window that also serves as a vacuum seal. In continuous wave experiments, the electron extraction currents can be as high as 8.8 mA at an input RF power of 22 W with argon gas. The gas flow is less than 1.0 SCCM for this test.

Possibility of generating H+, or H2 +, or H3 + dominated ion beams with a 2.45 GHz permanent magnet ECR ion source.

At Peking University (PKU), experimental research as well as theoretical study on how to produce high intense H+, H2 +, or H3 + dominated ion beams with a compact permanent magnet 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance (PMECR) ion source have been continuously carried out in the past few decades. Based on the comprehension of hydrogen plasma processes inside a 2.45 GHz PMECR discharge chamber, a three-phase diagram of ion fraction dominant regions that illustrates the relationship between the H+, H2 +, and H3 + ion species and working parameters was presented. Meanwhile, a numerical model based on the particle population balance equations was developed for quantitative comprehension of electron cyclotron heated hydrogen plasma. Calculated results of H+, H2 +, and H3 + fractions against gas pressure, microwave density, and wall material obtained with this numerical model agree well with the measured ones. Recently, a miniaturized ECR ion source has been developed, and a 52 mA hydrogen beam was extracted. Under the guidance of the model, H+, H2 +, and H3 + beams with a fraction of 88%, 80%, and 82%, respectively, were obtained with this miniaturized ECR ion source under suitable working parameters. A PMECR ion source for a proton therapy facility has been built at PKU recently. A 34 mA beam H+ fraction of 91% was obtained at the first attempt.

Binding of nitrobenzene to hepatic DNA and hemoglobin at low doses in mice.

Nitrobenzene (NB) is a widely used industrial chemical, and is considered a hazardous air pollutant. Evidence has recently showed that nitrobenzene is an animal carcinogen. We investigated the binding of 14C-NB to hepatic DNA and Hb in mice at low doses using an ultrasensitive method of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). In a dose-response profile, NB-DNA and NB-Hb adduct levels increased with increasing administered doses from 0.1 microg/kg b.w. to 10 mg/kg b.w. with a good linearity in a log/log presentation. At 2 h after NB administration, NB-DNA adduct levels were about twofold greater than that of NB-Hb at all doses. In the time course study NB-DNA adduct levels reduced rapidly through an exponential decay profile, whereas NB-Hb adducts showed a different decay mode, declining rather slowly to low levels. Our findings on the genotoxicity of NB do furnish a significant evidence in support of the probable carcinogenic property of NB previously reported.

Inhibition of nitrobenzene-induced DNA and hemoglobin adductions by dietary constituents.

Nitrobenzene (NB), a widely used industrial chemical, is a likely human carcinogen. Many dietary constituents can suppress the DNA-adduction, acting as the inhibitors of cancer. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE), tea polyphenols (TP), garlic squeeze, curcumin, and grapestone extract on NB-DNA and NB-hemoglobin (Hb) adductions in mice using an ultrasensitive method of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) with 14C-labelled nitrobenzene. All of these dietary constituents showed their inhibitory effects on DNA or Hb adduction. VC, VE, TP and grapestone extract could efficaciously inhibit the adductions by 33-50%, and all of these six agents could inhibit Hb adduction by 30-64%. We also investigated resveratrol, curcumin, VC and VE as inhibitors of NB-DNA adduction in vitro using liquid scintillation counting technique. These agents in the presence of NADPH and S9 components also pronouncedly blocked DNA adduction in a dose-dependent profile. Our study suggests that these seven constituents may interrupt the process of NB-induced chemical carcinogenesis.

High current H2(+) and H3(+) beam generation by pulsed 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source.

The permanent magnet 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source at Peking University can produce more than 100 mA hydrogen ion beam working at pulsed mode. For the increasing requirements of cluster ions (H2(+) and H3(+)) in linac and cyclotron, experimental study was carried out to further understand the hydrogen plasma processes in the ion source for the generation of cluster ions. The constituents of extracted beam have been analyzed varying with the pulsed duration from 0.3 ms to 2.0 ms (repetition frequency 100 Hz) at different operation pressure. The fraction of cluster ions dramatically increased when the pulsed duration was lower than 0.6 ms, and more than 20 mA pure H3(+) ions with fraction 43.2% and 40 mA H2(+) ions with fraction 47.7% were obtained when the operation parameters were adequate. The dependence of extracted ion fraction on microwave power was also measured at different pressure as the energy absorbed by plasma will greatly influence electron temperature and electron density then the plasma processes in the ion source. More details will be presented in this paper.

Commissioning of helium injector for coupled radio frequency quadrupole and separated function radio frequency quadrupole accelerator.

A project to study a new type of acceleration structure has been launched at Peking University, in which a traditional radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) and a separated function radio frequency quadrupole are coupled in one cavity to accelerate the He+ beam. A helium injector for this project is developed. The injector consists of a 2.45 GHz permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance ion source and a 1.16 m long low energy beam transport (LEBT). The commissioning of this injector was carried out and an onsite test was held in June 2013. A 14 mA He+ beam with the energy of 30 keV has been delivered to the end of the LEBT, where a diaphragm with the diameter of 7 mm is located. The position of the diaphragm corresponds to the entrance of the RFQ electrodes. The beam emittance and fraction were measured after the 7 mm diaphragm. Its rms emittance is about 0.14 π mm mrad and the fraction of He+ is about 99%.

Key elements of space charge compensation on a low energy high intensity beam injector.

Space charge effect (SCE) along the beam line will decrease beam quality. Space charge compensation (SCC) with extra gas injection is a high-efficiency method to reduce SCE. In this paper, we will report the experimental results on the beam profile, potential distribution, beam emittance, and beam transmission efficiency of a 35 keV∕90 mA H(+) beam and a 40 keV∕10 mA He(+) beam compensated by Ar∕Kr. The influence of gas type, gas flow, and injection location will be discussed. Emphasis is laid on the consideration of SCC when designing and commissioning a high intensity ion beam injector. Based on measured data, a new definition of space charge compensation degree is proposed.