THE EMERGING PLASMA BEAM FROM A DUOPLASMATRON SOURCE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR MATERIAL SPUTTERING

The UMIST duoplasmatron (J W Bradley 1991 PhD thesis UMIST) provides h igh plasma particle emission rates in excess of 5 x 10(17) s(-1) and e nergetic stream conditions. Plasma ions are ejected with supersonic ve locities. The expansion of the emerging hydrogen plasma and subsequent ion acceleration to mean energies of over 130 eV are modelled using a simple fluid description. A technique for exchanging hydrogen ions fo r argon in the expanding beam is demonstrated, giving energetic, heavy -ion stream conditions. The potential for using the duoplasmatron as a source of ions for direct sputtering of insulating materials is discu ssed.