A hybrid electron cyclotron resonance metal ion source with integrated sputter magnetron for the production of an intense Al⁺ ion beam.

A metal ion source prototype has been developed: a combination of magnetron sputter technology with 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source technology-a so called magnetron ECR ion source (MECRIS). An integrated ring-shaped sputter magnetron with an Al target is acting as a powerful metal atom supply in order to produce an intense current of singly charged metal ions. Preliminary experiments show that an Al(+) ion current with a density of 167 µA/cm(2) is extracted from the source at an acceleration voltage of 27 kV. Spatially resolved double Langmuir probe measurements and optical emission spectroscopy were used to study the plasma states of the ion source: sputter magnetron, ECR, and MECRIS plasma. Electron density and temperature as well as Al atom density were determined as a function of microwave and sputter magnetron power. The effect of ECR heating is strongly pronounced in the center of the source. There the electron density is increased by one order of magnitude from 6 × 10(9) cm(-3) to 6 × 10(10) cm(-3) and the electron temperature is enhanced from about 5 eV to 12 eV, when the ECR plasma is ignited to the magnetron plasma. Operating the magnetron at constant power, it was observed that its discharge current is raised from 1.8 A to 4.8 A, when the ECR discharge was superimposed with a microwave power of 2 kW. At the same time, the discharge voltage decreased from about 560 V to 210 V, clearly indicating a higher plasma density of the MECRIS mode. The optical emission spectrum of the MECRIS plasma is dominated by lines of excited Al atoms and shows a significant contribution of lines arising from singly ionized Al. Plasma emission photography with a CCD camera was used to prove probe measurements and to identify separated plasma emission zones originating from the ECR and magnetron discharge.

An inverted cylindrical sputter magnetron as metal vapor supply for electron cyclotron resonance ion sources.

An inverted cylindrical sputter magnetron device has been developed. The magnetron is acting as a metal vapor supply for an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source. FEM simulation of magnetic flux density was used to ensure that there is no critical interaction between both magnetic fields of magnetron and ECR ion source. Spatially resolved double Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy measurements show an increase in electron density by one order of magnitude from 1 × 10(10) cm(-3) to 1 × 10(11) cm(-3), when the magnetron plasma is exposed to the magnetic mirror field of the ECR ion source. Electron density enhancement is also indicated by magnetron plasma emission photography with a CCD camera. Furthermore, photographs visualize the formation of a localized loss-cone - area, when the magnetron is operated at magnetic mirror field conditions. The inverted cylindrical magnetron supplies a metal atom load rate of R > 1 × 10(18) atoms/s for aluminum, which meets the demand for the production of a milliampere Al(+) ion beam.

Electron beam ion sources for use in second generation synchrotrons for medical particle therapy.

Cyclotrons and first generation synchrotrons are the commonly applied accelerators in medical particle therapy nowadays. Next generation accelerators such as Rapid Cycling Medical Synchrotrons (RCMS), direct drive accelerators, or dielectric wall accelerators have the potential to improve the existing accelerator techniques in this field. Innovative accelerator concepts for medical particle therapy can benefit from ion sources which meet their special requirements. In the present paper we report on measurements with a superconducting Electron Beam Ion Source, the Dresden EBIS-SC, under the aspect of application in combination with RCMS as a well proven technology. The measurements indicate that this ion source can offer significant advantages for medical particle therapy. We show that a superconducting EBIS can deliver ion pulses of medically relevant ions such as protons, C(4 +) and C(6 +) ions with intensities and frequencies required for RCMS [S. Peggs and T. Satogata, "A survey of Hadron therapy accelerator technology," in Proceedings of PAC07, BNL-79826- 2008-CP, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 2007; A. Garonna, U. Amaldi et al., "Cyclinac medical accelerators using pulsed C(6 +)/H2(+) ion sources," in Proceedings of EBIST 2010, Stockholm, Sweden, July 2010]. Ion extraction spectra as well as individual ion pulses have been measured. For example, we report on the generation of proton pulses with up to 3 × 10(9) protons per pulse and with frequencies of up to 1000 Hz at electron beam currents of 600 mA.

A compact, versatile low-energy electron beam ion source.

A new compact Electron Beam Ion Source, the Dresden EBIT-LE, is introduced as an ion source working at low electron beam energies. The EBIT-LE operates at an electron energy ranging from 100 eV to some keV and can easily be modified to an EBIT also working at higher electron beam energies of up to 15 keV. We show that, depending on the electron beam energy, electron beam currents from a few mA in the low-energy regime up to about 40 mA in the high-energy regime are possible. Technical solutions as well as first experimental results of the EBIT-LE are presented. In ion extraction experiments, a stable production of low and intermediate charged ions at electron beam energies below 2 keV is demonstrated. Furthermore, X-ray spectroscopy measurements confirm the possibility of using the machine as a source of X-rays from ions excited at low electron energies.

Permanent magnet electron beam ion source/trap systems with bakeable magnets for improved operation conditions.

The magnetic system of a Dresden electron beam ion source (EBIS) generating the necessary magnetic field with a new type of permanent magnet made of high energy density NdFeB-type material operable at temperatures above 100 °C has been investigated and tested. The employment of such kind of magnets provides simplified operation without the time-consuming installation and de-installation procedures of the magnets for the necessary baking of the ion source after commissioning and maintenance work. Furthermore, with the use of a new magnetization technique the geometrical filling factor of the magnetic Dresden EBIS design could be increased to a filling factor of 100% leading to an axial magnetic field strength of approximately 0.5 T exceeding the old design by 20%. Simulations using the finite element method software Field Precision and their results compared with measurements are presented as well. It could be shown that several baking cycles at temperatures higher than 100 °C did not change the magnetic properties of the setup.

Demonstration of charge breeding in a compact room temperature electron beam ion trap.

For the first time, a small room-temperature electron beam ion trap (EBIT), operated with permanent magnets, was successfully used for charge breeding experiments. The relatively low magnetic field of this EBIT does not contribute to the capture of the ions; single-charged ions are only caught by the space charge potential of the electron beam. An over-barrier injection method was used to fill the EBIT's electrostatic trap with externally produced, single-charged potassium ions. Charge states as high as K(19+) were reached after about a 3 s breeding time. The capture and breeding efficiencies up to 0.016(4)% for K(17+) have been measured.

Production of low-Z ions in the Dresden superconducting electron ion beam source for medical particle therapy.

We report on experiments with a new superconducting electron beam ion source (EBIS-SC), the Dresden EBIS-SC, with the objective to meet the main requirements for their application in particle-therapy facilities. Synchrotrons as well as innovative accelerator concepts, such as high-gradient linacs which are driven by a large-current cyclotron (CYCLINACS) and direct drive RF linear accelerators may benefit from the advantages of EBISs in regard to their functional principle. First experimental studies of the production of low-Z ions such as H(+), H(2)(+), H(3)(+), C(4+), and C(6+) are presented. Particular attention is paid to the ion output, i.e., the number of ions per pulse and per second, respectively. Important beam parameters in this context are, among others, ion pulse shaping, pulse repetition rates, beam emittance, and ion energy spread.

Liquid metal alloy ion source based metal ion injection into a room-temperature electron beam ion source.

We have carried out a series of measurements demonstrating the feasibility of using the Dresden electron beam ion source (EBIS)-A, a table-top sized, permanent magnet technology based electron beam ion source, as a charge breeder. Low charged gold ions from an AuGe liquid metal alloy ion source were injected into the EBIS and re-extracted as highly charged ions, thereby producing charge states as high as Au(60 +). The setup, the charge breeding technique, breeding efficiencies as well as acceptance and emittance studies are presented.

Short time ion pulse extraction from the Dresden electron beam ion trap.

We present measurements of the extraction of short time pulses of highly charged ions (4 keV, Ar(16+)) from the Dresden electron beam ion trap. Thereby the dependence of the extractable ionic charge on the extraction regime was investigated. The ion extraction time was varied between 20 ns and 1 micros. Furthermore the production of carbon ions and the influence of the extraction regime on the pulse widths was investigated to obtain information about the suitability of the Dresden EBIS-A in synchrotron based particle therapy facilities.

Status report of the Dresden EBIS/EBIT developments.

We give an overview about latest developments and measurements with the Dresden electron beam ion source family as compact and economically working table-top sources of highly charged ions. The ion sources are potential tools for various applications such as for use in combination with accelerators in medical particle therapy, as charge breeder or ion trap injector, as ion sources for a new generation of focused ion beam devices and for applications together with time-of-flight secondary mass spectrometers.

A compact electron beam ion source with integrated Wien filter providing mass and charge state separated beams of highly charged ions.

A Wien filter was designed for and tested with a room temperature electron beam ion source (EBIS). Xenon charge state spectra up to the charge state Xe46+ were resolved as well as the isotopes of krypton using apertures of different sizes. The complete setup consisting of an EBIS and a Wien filter has a length of less than 1 m substituting a complete classical beamline setup. The Wien filter is equipped with removable permanent magnets. Hence total beam current measurements are possible via simple removal of the permanent magnets. In dependence on the needs of resolution a weak (0.2 T) or a strong (0.5 T) magnets setup can be used. In this paper the principle of operation and the design of the Wien filter meeting the requirements of an EBIS are briefly discussed. The first ion beam extraction and separation experiments with a Dresden EBIS are presented.

Properties of the electron beam in a room-temperature electron beam ion source investigated by position sensitive x-ray detection.

The evolution of the charge state distribution inside an electron beam ion source or trap (EBIS/T) is determined by interactions of the electron beam with the ions in the trap region. Hence, detailed information about the electron beam is required for evaluations of spectroscopic and ion extraction measurements performed at EBIS/T facilities. This article presents the results of investigations on the electron beam properties of an ion source of the Dresden EBIS type. For the first time theoretical predictions of the shape of the beam were tested for a noncryogenic EBIS working with low magnetic flux densities provided by permanent magnets. Position and width of the electron beam were measured at different electron energies showing an oscillation in the beam structure. At an energy of E(e)=16 keV and an emission current of I(e)=30 mA the beam is compressed to a radius of r(e)=57 mum (80% current). This refers to an average current density of j(e)=232 A/cm(2).

Molecule fragmentation at the Dresden EBIS-A.

We report on molecule fragmentation measurements of propane in high dense electron beams of a room-temperature electron beam ion source, the so-called Dresden EBIS-A. After fragmentation of propane molecules in the electron beam the fragments were continuously extracted and q/A separated by a bifocal dipole magnet. Fragmentation spectra were measured at working gas pressures of 10(-9) mbar up to 10(-8) mbar, electron currents of 29 mA up to 75 mA, and electron energies of 11 keV up to 15 keV. Thereby all possible stoichiometric ratios of propane fragments were detected. At low electron beam currents the ion current output of the CH(x)(+) (x=0-3) and the C(2)H(x)(+) (x=0-5) fragments is nearly identically. At higher electron currents the CH(x)(+) (x=0-3) peaks dominate the spectra and the ratio between the C(+) peak and CH(x)(+) (x=0-3) peaks increases from 2:1 to 3:1. It was shown that the working gas pressure has no significant influence on the fragment distribution but on the total ion current.

Compact electron beam ion sources/traps: review and prospects.

The Dresden electron beam ion trap (EBIT)/electron beam ion source (EBIS) family are very compact and economically working table-top ion sources. We report on the development of three generations of such ion sources, the so-called Dresden EBIT, Dresden EBIS, and Dresden EBIS-A, respectively. The ion sources are classified by different currents of extractable ions at different charge states and by the x-ray spectra emitted by the ions inside the electron beam. We present examples of x-ray measurements and measured ion currents extracted from the ion sources at certain individual operating conditions. Ion charge states of up to Xe(48+) but also bare nuclei of lighter elements up to nickel have been extracted. The application potential of the ion sources is demonstrated via proof-of-concept applications employing an EBIT in a focused ion beam (FIB) column or using an EBIT for the production of nanostructures by single ion hits. Additionally we give first information about the next generation of the Dresden EBIS series. The so-called Dresden EBIS-SC is a compact and cryogen-free superconducting high-B-field EBIS for high-current operation.

Retention of the potential energy of multiply charged argon ions incident on copper.

The retained fraction of the potential energy of argon ions incident on copper has been measured using stationary calorimetry at charge states up to 9+ and kinetic energies ranging from 75 to 240 eV per ionic charge. An average fraction of 30% to 40% is found with little dependence on the charge number and on the kinetic energy. The retention of the total energy ranges from 60% to 75% and can mainly be accounted for by the retained fraction of the potential energy and the collisional energy lost by reflected ions and sputtered target atoms.

Luminosity of bragg crystal diffraction spectrometers with flat and focusing crystals.

Analytical approximations for calculations of the luminous efficiency of Bragg crystal diffraction spectrometers with flat and focussing crystals are derived. The given approximative formulas are in good agreement with ray-tracing calculations presented in an earlier work. Influences of the geometric source dimensions on the luminous efficiency are discussed for both spectrometer types mentioned.

Ray tracing for crystal-diffraction spectrometers with position-sensitive detectors.

Ray tracing calculations for crystal-diffraction spectrometers with position-sensitive detectors are done. After describing fundamentals of the ray tracing formalism, the paper presents selected results for a given spectrometer geometry. The developed method allows a three-dimensional representation of diffraction reflections as well as a matrix display of the recorded events in the detector plane. Applying the formalism of Monte Carlo simulation it is possible to calculate other important quantities, such as the resolving power and luminosity of the analyzed spectrometer.