Investigations on liquid alloy ion sources for rare-earth elements

We have developed liquid alloy ion sources for the rare-earth elements Er and Pr. They can be used in focused ion beam systems for ion implantation into optical materials and superconductors. The rare-earth elements are incorporated into ternary alloys to achieve lower melting points and lower vapor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of Scientific Instruments 1998-03, Vol.69 (3), p.1336-1339
Main Authors: Machalett, F., Wesch, W., Mühle, R., Barth, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We have developed liquid alloy ion sources for the rare-earth elements Er and Pr. They can be used in focused ion beam systems for ion implantation into optical materials and superconductors. The rare-earth elements are incorporated into ternary alloys to achieve lower melting points and lower vapor pressures as well as better wetting properties and easier handling of the sources at atmosphere. The melting properties of the alloys were determined by differential thermal analysis. The emission current stability and the mass distribution using a magnetic mass spectrometer and a time-of-flight mass analyzer have been measured. The mass spectra show a high intensity of double charged and a considerable intensity of triple charged Er and Pr ions. The ion sources exhibit a good performance even after storage for several weeks in air.
ISSN:0034-6748
1089-7623
DOI:10.1063/1.1148802