Generation of broad ion beams in sources based on Penning system with nonequipotential cathode

A method of generation of uniform plasma in low-pressure glow discharges with oscillating electrons has been developed. The method is based on the separation of the cathode into several elements, with potentials of the parts being different. Experimental results show that the use of the nonequipotential cathode in the Penning system enables effective control of spatial plasma distribution. This makes it possible to obtain nearly uniform ion emission current distributions and to form broad beams. Two variants of ion sources are under investigation. The first source generates low energy (∼1 keV) ions, which are often used for cleaning of surfaces. A treated target plays a role in one of the cathodes and acceleration of ions is realized directly in the cathode sheath. The required level of ion energy is provided by applying a corresponding voltage between the target and the anode of the system. The second source generates an ion beam with higher (several tens of keV) energy. Accelerating-decelerating ion optics is used in this variant. The efficiency of ion extraction, defined as the ratio of beam and discharge currents, is equal to 30%