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At least 793 records · Page 44

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DOE OSTI2019

Demonstration of waferscale voltage amplifier and electrostatic quadrupole focusing array for compact linear accelerators

Compact linear accelerators, with beam energies in the kiloelectron volt to megaelectron volt range, have applications in medicine, neutron/X-ray generation, surface modifications, etc. The size, weight, and power of existing accelerators preclude them from mass availability in portable formats. This paper presents a specific implementation of an ion accelerator architecture based on planar wafers with accelerating and focusing sections. Our low cost approach allows the control of the final ion beam energy with potential applications, for example, for accelerator-based ion implantation. In this paper, we demonstrate two important waferscale modules required to build a linear particle accelerator; these include (1) on-wafer voltage amplification for beam acceleration using Inductor-Capacitor (LC) resonators and (2) waferscale electrostatic quadrupole arrays (ESQA) to refocus the ion beams during transport. On-board LC resonators were developed using Printed Circuit Board fabrication processes to implement an LC element resonant at ~ 16.6 MHz with a quality factor of 25. An energy gain of ~ 250 eV was observed using a two wafer acceleration unit with an argon ion beam with 6.5 keV initial energy. A 3 × 3 ESQA was fabricated on a glass wafer with metal electrodes formed by depositing copper metal around the beam apertures. The ESQA was used to focus and defocus an argon ion beam, demonstrating a field gradient of ~ 500 V over a gap of ~ 250 μm.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS1987

Isotopic fractionation of Kr and Xe implanted in solids at very low energies

Results on the implantation of Kr and Xe in W under closed system conditions at very low energies (50-500 eV) are reported. Investigation of the fraction of gas trapped as a function of time reveals the existence of competing trapping and release mechanisms, and analysis of recovered trapped gas and residual gas phases shows that both elemental and isotropic fractionation result from these mechanisms. It is determined that the mass dependence for the overall implantation process is at or near m exp 1, with heavier isotopes enriched in the implanted gas. This mass dependence is inferred to result from implantation and a combination of diffusive and gas sputtering release mechanisms. These results reaffirm the conclusion of Bernatowicz and Fahey (1986) that previously observed isotopic fractionation of Kr and Xe in carbonaceous material synthesized in electrical discharges owes its origin to low-energy ion implantation, and also suggest that this process may be relevant to incorporation of noble gases in early solar system materials. The implication of these results for noble gas mass spectrometry are discussed.

Bernatowicz, Thomas J.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Palladium Implanted Silicon Carbide for Hydrogen Sensing

Silicon carbide is intended for use in fabrication of high-temperature, efficient hydrogen sensors. Traditionally, when a palladium coating is applied on the exposed surface of SiC, the chemical reaction between palladium and hydrogen produces a detectable change in the surface chemical potential. We have produced both a palladium coated SiC as well as a palladium, ion implanted SiC sensor. The palladium implantation was done at 500 C into the Si face of 6H, N-type SiC at various energies, and at various fluences. Then, we measured the hydrogen sensitivity response of each fabricated sensor by exposing them to hydrogen while monitoring the current flow across the p-n junction(s), with respect to time. The sensitivity of each sensor was measured at temperatures between 27 and 300 C. The response of the SiC sensors produced by Pd implantation has revealed a completely different behaviour than the SiC sensors produced by Pd deposition. In the Pd-deposited SiC sensors as well as in the ones reported in the literature, the current rises in the presence of hydrogen at room temperature as well as at elevated temperatures. In the case of Pd-implanted SiC sensors, the current decreases in the presence of hydrogen whenever the temperature is raised above 100 C. We will present the details and conclusions from the results obtained during this meeting.

Muntele, C. I.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Modulating charge transport via 2 MeV He + irradiation in VO 2

Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) is of interest for adaptive electronic applications such as neuromorphic neuristor devices and variable emissivity or tunable thermal control materials, thanks to its key property—a metal–insulator transition (MIT) at 68 °C that is accompanied by a dramatic change in electrical and optical properties. To improve performance in these roles, it is critical to develop approaches to engineer transport properties and the MIT behavior. While many documented techniques exist to modulate the MIT and film resistivities via lattice strain and chemical doping, less is known about the effects of ion irradiation on the intrinsic properties of VO 2 , despite the ability to control the spatial distribution of irradiation beams and the prevalence of high energy ion implantation in the semiconductor industry. The impact of irradiation of different acceleration energies on the responses of VO 2 is of specific interest, as charged particle energy generally impacts both the resulting defect profile and corresponding transport behavior. Here, we demonstrate that 2 MeV He ions at equivalent calculated displacements per atom, in two different types of films, can create remarkable changes to the nature of charge transport in VO 2 , especially in the low-temperature insulating phase. Simulation of resulting changes in electrical conductivity reveals that He ion irradiation offers a strategy to increase both oscillation frequency and the signal transmission. These results provide insights into the intentional design of defect populations to modulate transport for neuromorphic VO 2 devices.

Gurrola, Rebeca M. [Texas A & M Univ., College Sta↗

NASA NTRS2009

Very Large Area/Volume Microwave ECR Plasma and Ion Source

The present invention is an apparatus and method for producing very large area and large volume plasmas. The invention utilizes electron cyclotron resonances in conjunction with permanent magnets to produce dense, uniform plasmas for long life ion thruster applications or for plasma processing applications such as etching, deposition, ion milling and ion implantation. The large area source is at least five times larger than the 12-inch wafers being processed to date. Its rectangular shape makes it easier to accommodate to materials processing than sources that are circular in shape. The source itself represents the largest ECR ion source built to date. It is electrodeless and does not utilize electromagnets to generate the ECR magnetic circuit, nor does it make use of windows.

Foster, John E.↗

DOE OSTI2011

Interplay of energy dissipation, ion-induced mixing, and crystal structure recovery, and surface effects in ion-irradiated magnetic Fe/Cr/Fe trilayers

The influence of the ion irradiation by 30 keV Ga{sup +} ions on the crystal structure, chemical ordering, magnetic properties, and topography of epitaxial Fe/Cr/Fe trilayers was investigated by different analytical techniques. We present direct experimental evidence, supported by theoretical estimates, that two processes take place concurrently due to the Ga-ion implantation. (i) A complete atom mixing of the Cr atoms within the Fe multilayers is occurring due to the collision cascades during the ballistic regime, and (ii) an essentially complete recovery of the initial single-crystal quality of the Fe multilayers by healing the melted and damaged area through the thermal spike phase occurs. Based on the experimental range distributions and theoretical modeling, channeling of Ga{sup +} ions in the experiments is found to contribute weakly to ion penetration and stopping, and the relative fraction of the well-channeled ions is marginally small. On the other hand, this weak channeling is sufficient to reduce the sputter yield by a factor of more than 5 in comparison with the sputtering of polycrystalline samples, evidence for the fact that the magnitude of channeling is not of primary importance for the sputtering. We offer an explanation for the observation of dramatic and abrupt changes in the surface roughness with increasing fluences in terms of a transformation from a single-phase single-crystal implanted region (bcc-Fe) to a mixture of the polycrystalline {alpha}-Fe-like bcc and {alpha}-Fe{sub 3}Ga structures within the outer half of the original Fe/Cr/Fe trilayer at fluences above 6.25 x 10{sup 16} ion/cm{sup 2}. The wall-like elevations appearing at the boundary of the irradiated areas were analyzed experimentally by varying the irradiation conditions. We showed that the wall size is governed by the ion-current density applied. A physical explanation for the appearance of such topographic features is presented, which would be valid for any material irradiated by a focused ion beam.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2014

Local traps as nanoscale reaction-diffusion probes: B clustering in c-Si

A series of B implantation experiments into initially amorphized and not fully recrystallized Si, i.e., into an existing a/c-Si bi-layer material, have been conducted. We varied B dose, energy, and temperature during implantation process itself. Significant B migration has been observed within c-Si part near the a/c-interface and near the end-of-range region before any activation annealing. We propose a general concept of local trapping sites as experimental probes of nanoscale reaction-diffusion processes. Here, the a/c-Si interface acts as a trap, and the process itself is explored as the migration and clustering of mobile BI point defects in nearby c-Si during implantation at temperatures from 77 to 573 K. We find that at room temperature—even at B concentrations as high as 1.6 atomic %, the key B-B pairing step requires diffusion lengths of several nm owing to a small, ∼0.1 eV, pairing energy barrier. Thus, in nanostructures doped by ion implantation, the implant distribution can be strongly influenced by thermal migration to nearby impurities, defects, and interfaces.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2012

Plasma chemistry study of PLAD processes

Plasma doping (PLAD) shows very different impurity profiles compared to the conventional beam-line-based ion implantations due to its non-mass separation property and plasma environment. There is no simulation for PLAD process so far due to a lack of a dopant profile model. Several factors determine impurity profiles of PLAD process. The most significant factors are: plasma chemistry and deposition/etching characteristics of multi-ion species plasmas. In this paper, we present plasma chemistry and deposition/etching characteristics of PLAD processes versus co-gas dilutions. Four dopant plasmas including B{sub 2}H{sub 6}, BF{sub 3}, AsH{sub 3}, and PH{sub 3}, and two non-dopant plasmas including CH{sub 4} and GeH{sub 4} are studied and demonstrated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Helium-implantation-induced lattice strains and defects in tungsten probed by X-ray micro-diffraction

Tungsten is the main candidate material for plasma-facing armour components in future fusion reactors. Bombardment with energetic fusion neutrons causes collision cascade damage and defect formation. Interaction of defects with helium, produced by transmutation and injected from the plasma, modifies defect retention and behaviour. Here we investigate the residual lattice strains caused by different doses of helium-ion-implantation into tungsten and tungsten-rhenium alloys. Energy and depth-resolved synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction uniquely permits the measurement of lattice strain with sub-micron 3D spatial resolution and ~10 -4 strain sensitivity. Increase of helium dose from 300 appm to 3000 appm increases volumetric strain by only ~2.4 times, indicating that defect retention per injected helium is ~3 times higher at low helium doses. This suggests defect retention is not a simple function of implanted helium dose, but strongly depends on material composition and presence of impurities. Conversely, analysis of W-1 wt% Re alloy samples and of different crystal orientations shows that both the presence of rhenium, and crystal orientation, have a comparatively small effect on defect retention. These insights are key for the design of armour components in future reactors where it will be essential to account for irradiation-induced dimensional change when predicting component lifetime and performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Softening due to Grain Boundary Cavity Formation and its Competition with Hardening in Helium Implanted Nanocrystalline Tungsten

The unique ability of grain boundaries to act as effective sinks for radiation damage plays a significant role in nanocrystalline materials due to their large interfacial area per unit volume. Leveraging this mechanism in the design of tungsten as a plasma-facing material provides a potential pathway for enhancing its radiation tolerance under fusion-relevant conditions. In this study, we explore the impact of defect microstructures on the mechanical behavior of helium ion implanted nanocrystalline tungsten through nanoindentation. Softening was apparent across all implantation temperatures and attributed to bubble/cavity loaded grain boundaries suppressing the activation barrier for the onset of plasticity via grain boundary mediated dislocation nucleation. An increase in fluence placed cavity induced grain boundary softening in competition with hardening from intragranular defect loop damage, thus signaling a new transition in the mechanical behavior of helium implanted nanocrystalline tungsten.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2013

PROPERTIES OF DEFECTS AND IMPLANTS IN Mg+ IMPLANTED SILICON CARBIDE

As a candidate material for fusion reactor designs, silicon carbide (SiC) under high-energy neutron irradiation undergoes atomic displacement damage and transmutation reactions that create magnesium as one of the major metallic products. The presence of Mg and lattice disorder in SiC is expected to affect structural stability and degrade thermo-mechanical properties that could limit SiC lifetime for service. We have initiated a combined experimental and computational study that uses Mg+ ion implantation and multiscale modeling to investigate the structural and chemical effects in Mg implanted SiC and explore possible property degradation mechanisms.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗

DOE OSTI2017

Broad ion energy distributions in helicon wave-coupled helium plasma

Helium ion energy distributions were measured in helicon wave-coupled plasmas of the dynamics of ion implantation and sputtering of surface experiment using a retarding field energy analyzer. The shape of the energy distribution is a double-peak, characteristic of radiofrequency plasma potential modulation. The broad distribution is located within a radius of 0.8 cm, while the quartz tube of the plasma source has an inner radius of 2.2 cm. The ion energy distribution rapidly changes from a double-peak to a single peak in the radius range of 0.7–0.9 cm. The average ion energy is approximately uniform across the plasma column including the double-peak and single peak regions. The widths of the broad distribution, ΔE, in the wave-coupled mode are large compared to the time-averaged ion energy, < E >. On the axis (r = 0), ΔE/< E > ≲ 3.4, and at a radius near the edge of the plasma column (r = 2.2 cm), ΔE/< E > ~1.2. In conclusion, the discharge parameter space is scanned to investigate the effects of the magnetic field, input power, and chamber fill pressure on the wave-coupled mode that exhibits the sharp radial variation in the ion energy distribution.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2017

Gallium-Doped Poly-Si:Ga/SiO 2 Passivated Emitters to n-Cz Wafers With iV oc >730 mV

Here, we form gallium-doped poly-Si:Ga/SiO 2 passivated contacts on n-type Czochralski (n-Cz) wafers using ion implantation of Ga and Ga-containing spin-on dopants. After annealing and passivation with Al 2 O 3 , the contacts exhibit i Voc values of >730 mV with corresponding Joe values of <5 fA/cm 2 . These are among the best-reported values for p-type poly-Si/SiO 2 contacts. Secondary ion mass spectroscopic depth profile data show that, in contrast to B, Ga does not pileup at the SiO 2 interface in agreement with its known high diffusivity in SiO 2 . This lack of Ga pileup may imply fewer dopant-related defects in the SiO 2 , compared with B dopants, and account for the excellent passivation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2000

Energetic Ion Interactions with the Galilean Satellites

The principal research tasks of this investigation are: (1) specification of the energetic (keV to MeV) ion environments upstream of the four Galilean satellites and (2) data analysis and numerical modeling of observed ion interactions with the satellites. Differential flux spectra are being compiled for the most abundant ions (protons, oxygen, and sulfur) from measurements at 20 keV to 100 MeV total energy by the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) experiment and at higher ion energies by the Heavy Ion Counter (HIC) experiment. Runge-Kutta and other numerical techniques are used to propagate test particles sampled from the measured upstream spectra to the satellite surface or spacecraft through the local magnetic and corotational electric field environment of each satellite. Modeling of spatial variations in directional flux anisotropies measured during each close flyby provides limits on atomic charge states for heavy (O, S) magnetospheric ions and on internal or induced magnetic fields of the satellites. Validation of models for magnetic and electric field configurations then allows computation of rates for ion implantation, sputtering, and energy deposition into the satellite surfaces for further modeling of observable chemical changes induced by irradiation. Our ongoing work on production of oxidants and other secondary species by ice irradiation on Europa's surface has significant applications, already acknowledged in current literature, to astrobiological evolution. Finally, the work will improve understanding of energetic ion sources and sinks at the satellite orbits for improved modeling of magnetospheric transport processes. The scope of the research effort mainly includes data from the primary Galileo mission (1995-1997) but may also include some later data where directly relevant (e.g., comparison of J0 and I27 data for Io) to the primary mission objectives. Funding for this contract also includes partial support for our related education and public outreach activity, 'Interaction of Magnetospheric Particles Applied to Classroom Teaching (IMPACT).'

Cooper, John F.↗

DOE OSTI2019

Periodic Surface Morphology Characteristics of Tungsten Under Simultaneous Helium and Deuterium Bombardment at 30 keV

The ITER divertor will feature tungsten monoblocks as the plasma-facing component (PFC) that will be subject to extreme temperature and radiation environments. This paper reports the development of surface morphologies on tungsten under helium bombardment at high temperatures, which has important implications for safety, retention, and PFC erosion. Polycrystalline tungsten samples were implanted in the Dual Advanced Ion Simultaneous Implantation Experiment dual-beam ion implantation experiment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with He-only and simultaneous He-D implantation at incidence angles of 55 deg, ion energies of 30 keV, and surface temperatures of 900°C to 1100°C. Morphologies resulting from angled incidence conditions differed from those produced under normal incidence bombardment at similar energy and temperature conditions in previous work. A variety of ordered and disordered morphologies dependent on grain orientation were observed for fluences up to 6 × 10 18 He cm –2 . These morphologies displayed dependencies on crystal orientation at low fluences and incident beam directions at higher fluences. Furthermore, these structures appeared, with variation, under both single-species He and mixed He-D implantations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Real-time thermomechanical property monitoring during ion beam irradiation using in situ transient grating spectroscopy

A facility for continuously monitoring the thermal and elastic performance of materials under exposure to ion beam irradiation has been designed and commissioned. By coupling an all-optical, non-contact, non-destructive measurement technique known as transient grating spectroscopy (TGS) to a 6 MV tandem ion accelerator, bulk material properties may be measured at high fidelity as a function of irradiation exposure and temperature. Ion beam energies and optical parameters may be tuned to ensure that only the properties of the ion-implanted surface layer are interrogated. This facility provides complementary capabilities to the set of facilities worldwide which have the ability to study the evolution of microstructure in situ during radiation exposure, but lack the ability to measure bulk-like properties. Here, the measurement physics of TGS, design of the experimental facility, and initial results using both light and heavy ion exposures are described. Lastly, several short- and long-term upgrades are discussed which will further increase the capabilities of this diagnostic.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2011

Magnetic phase composition of strontium titanate implanted with iron ions

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The origin of RT-ferromagnetism in iron implanted strontium titanate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Metallic iron nanoclusters form during implantation and define magnetic behaviour. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Paramagnetic at room temperature iron-substituted strontium titanate identified. -- Abstract: Thin magnetic films were synthesized by means of implantation of iron ions into single-crystalline (1 0 0) substrates of strontium titanate. Depth-selective conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy (DCEMS) indicates that origin of the samples magnetism is {alpha}-Fe nanoparticles. Iron-substituted strontium titanate was also identified but with paramagnetic behaviour at room temperature. Surface magneto-optical Kerr effect (SMOKE) confirms that the films reveal superparamagnetism (the low-fluence sample) or ferromagnetism (the high-fluence sample), and demonstrate absence of magnetic in-plane anisotropy. These findings highlight iron implanted strontium titanate as a promising candidate for composite multiferroic material and also for gas sensing applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2012

White light interferometry for quantitative surface characterization in ion sputtering experiments.

White light interferometry (WLI) can be used to obtain surface morphology information on dimensional scale of millimeters with lateral resolution as good as {approx}1 {micro}m and depth resolution down to 1 nm. By performing true three-dimensional imaging of sample surfaces, the WLI technique enables accurate quantitative characterization of the geometry of surface features and compares favorably to scanning electron and atomic force microscopies by avoiding some of their drawbacks. In this paper, results of using the WLI imaging technique to characterize the products of ion sputtering experiments are reported. With a few figures, several example applications of the WLI method are illustrated when used for (i) sputtering yield measurements and time-to-depth conversion, (ii) optimizing ion beam current density profiles, the shapes of sputtered craters, and multiple ion beam superposition and (iii) quantitative characterization of surfaces processed with ions. In particular, for sputter depth profiling experiments of {sup 25}Mg, {sup 44}Ca and {sup 53}Cr ion implants in Si (implantation energy of 1 keV per nucleon), the depth calibration of the measured depth profile curves determined by the WLI method appeared to be self-consistent with TRIM simulations for such projectile-matrix systems. In addition, high depth resolution of the WLI method is demonstrated for a case of a Genesis solar wind Si collector surface processed by gas cluster ion beam: a 12.5 nm layer was removed from the processed surface, while the transition length between the processed and untreated areas was 150 {micro}m.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗