Measurement system for ion beam profiles using fixed parallel wires and Faraday cup array

Abstract

The radial profiles of ion current density are measured using a combination of two techniques—fixed parallel wires and a Faraday cup array—in a ring cusp ion source. These measurements are carried out for Ar+ ion beam current in the range of 20–90 mA and energy in the range of 850–1650 eV. Current density profiles near the extraction plane of the ion source are obtained by Abel inversion of the profiles of current measured using the parallel wires. In addition, the Faraday cup array provides radial profiles of ion current density at two different locations along the beam axis. A numerical model is developed and utilized for estimating the beam divergence and focal length from the profiles of ion current density measured using the two techniques. A fixed parallel wire array is established as an effective method for monitoring the ion beam profiles close to the ion source's extraction plane when the ion beam is utilized for other applications. The performance of the two measurement techniques is compared by estimating the ion beam current from the measurement of ion current density with the beam current measured from the power supply.