PLASMA SOURCES

The tectra Plasma Source* is a multi-purpose source which can easily be user configured to produce either atoms or ions and finds uses in a wide range of HV and UHV applications. By easy exchange of the beam optics the source can be configured to operate in several distinct modes. The main modes are Atom Source, Ion Source and Atom/Ion Hybrid Source. Besides delivering different species (atoms, ions, radicals) the Plasma Source covers the complete energy range from neutral thermal atoms to above 1.500eV. The shape
of the beam and current densities can be altered by using different beam optics.
A plasma is created in a coaxial waveguide by evanescent wave coupling of microwave energy at 2.45GHz. The plasma is further enhanced by the ECR action of a quadrupole magnetic field producing an extensive surface in the plasma on which electron cyclotron resonance at the given microwave frequency takes place.

* developed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Anton, University of Hamburg, Inst. für Angewandte Physik

Atom Source

The Atom source
The specially designed aperture plate inhibits ions from escaping from the plasma, yet allows reactive neutrals
to escape and form the dominant beam fraction. The emitted particles are largely thermalised through multiple collisions on passing through the aperture. These neutrals have proven to be very effective in low damage surface treatments such as nitridation and oxidation (1,2). The further addition of an ion-trap option can completely remove the residual ion content from the beam where this may be of concern.

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Ion Source

The Broad Beam Ion Source Dual or triple high conductance grid electrodes are used to produce the broad beam ion source mode. For sputtering applications, current densities at ~120mm of 2mA/cm² (focused optics) with ion energies of 1.3keV can be obtained while for deposition assistance (Ion Assisted Deposition or Dual Ion Beam Sputtering) the beam energy can be reduced to less than 100eV with current densities still in the 0.05mA/cm2 range.

> Download data sheet

Atom / Ion Hybrid Source

The Hybrid source
The beam optics in this mode combine the atom source aperture plate with electrodes providing active extraction of ions from the plasma. With no voltage applied to the electrodes the source functions like the atom source at (1) above. With voltage applied to the electrodes, ions with controllable energy can be added to the atom beam. Total beam current is in the ~50μA range. Using this mode the advantages of both a low kinetic energy, chemically reactive, atom beam and a much higher kinetic energy, highly anisotropic io beam may be explored.

> Download data sheet

PLASMA SOURCES

The tectra Plasma Source* is a multi-purpose source which can easily be user configured to produce either atoms or ions and finds uses in a wide range of HV and UHV applications. By easy exchange of the beam optics the source can be configured to operate in several distinct modes. The main modes are Atom Source, Ion Source and Atom/Ion Hybrid Source. Besides delivering different species (atoms, ions, radicals) the Plasma Source covers the complete energy range from neutral thermal atoms to above 1.500eV. The shape
of the beam and current densities can be altered by using different beam optics.
A plasma is created in a coaxial waveguide by evanescent wave coupling of microwave energy at 2.45GHz. The plasma is further enhanced by the ECR action of a quadrupole magnetic field producing an extensive surface in the plasma on which electron cyclotron resonance at the given microwave frequency takes place.

* developed in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Anton, University of Hamburg, Inst. für Angewandte Physik

Atom Source

The Atom source
The specially designed aperture plate inhibits ions from escaping from the plasma, yet allows reactive neutrals
to escape and form the dominant beam fraction. The emitted particles are largely thermalised through multiple collisions on passing through the aperture. These neutrals have proven to be very effective in low damage surface treatments such as nitridation and oxidation (1,2). The further addition of an ion-trap option can completely remove the residual ion content from the beam where this may be of concern.

> Download data sheet

Ion Source

The Broad Beam Ion Source Dual or triple high conductance grid electrodes are used to produce the broad beam ion source mode. For sputtering applications, current densities at ~120mm of 2mA/cm² (focused optics) with ion energies of 1.3keV can be obtained while for deposition assistance (Ion Assisted Deposition or Dual Ion Beam Sputtering) the beam energy can be reduced to less than 100eV with current densities still in the 0.05mA/cm2 range.

> Download data sheet

Atom / Ion Hybrid Source

The Hybrid source
The beam optics in this mode combine the atom source aperture plate with electrodes providing active extraction of ions from the plasma. With no voltage applied to the electrodes the source functions like the atom source at (1) above. With voltage applied to the electrodes, ions with controllable energy can be added to the atom beam. Total beam current is in the ~50μA range. Using this mode the advantages of both a low kinetic energy, chemically reactive, atom beam and a much higher kinetic energy, highly anisotropic io beam may be explored.

> Download data sheet