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We report on the usefulness of germanium (Ge) and gallium (Ga) plasmas as potential extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources at both 6.x and 13.5 nm, wavelengths of interest for lithography and metrology applications. Spectra from plasmas produced using neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers with pulse durations of 170 ps and 7 ns [full width at half-maximum] and a compact electron beam ion trap have been used to determine the charge states responsible while theoretical calculations using atomic structure Cowan and HULLAC codes enabled the identification of structure in the Ge spectrum arising from strong transitions of the type 3d – 4p and 3d – 4f. Transitions of the type 3d – 4f in Ge10+ and Ga11+ were found to lie in the 6.x nm region, while 3p−3d transitions from a range of stages in both elements contribute in the 13.5 nm region. We also studied the emission spectra of galinstan plasmas, and the results imply that galinstan might provide a promising candidate for EUV applications that explo...

We measure the multiple ionization cross-section ratios Rk1 of Ar impacted by Cq+ (q = 1−3) ions in the energy range of 20–500 keV/u. The measured ratios Rk1 increase with the projectile energy at lower energies, and reach the maximum at energies of 50–150 keV/u, then decrease for higher energies. We also use the classical over barrier ionization model to calculate the ratios Rk1, and the calculation results are in good agreement with the data, which suggest that the multiple ionization process is described by the sequential over-barrier ionization process.

The values of cross-section ratio Rk1 of direct k-fold ionization cross section (σ k) to direct single ionization cross section (σ 1) of Ne impacted by Cq+ (q = 1–3) ions in an energy range of 10 keV/u–500 keV/u are measured in this work. The experimental data are compared with the results from our multi-electron classical over-barrier ionization (ME-COBI) model, showing that the model can give a good estimate to the experimental data.

We extend our previous work of a classical over-barrier ionization (COBI) model to calculate the single ionization cross sections of noble gases ranging from He to Xe at strong perturbative energies. The calculation results are in good agreement with extensive experimental data. The scaling law of single ion-atom impact ionization cross sections of noble gases on projectile charge q and energy E, also on target ionization energy I is drawn from the model.

The M x-rays of Th and U have been produced by alpha particle bombardment in the energy range of 2.5-4.5 MeV. N6,7 → M5(Mα), N6 → M4(Mβ), N5 → M3(Mγ), N4 → M2 and N2 → M1 lines were selected to deduce M-subshell x-ray production cross sections. The radiative transition rates and the Coster-Kronig yields and M-subshell fluorescence yields were used to convert the x-ray production cross sections into M-subshell ionization cross sections. The deduced M-subshell ionization cross sections were compared with the ECPSSR predictions. The discrepancies of our experimental results from the theoretical calculations are discussed.

We investigate the single-electron loss processes of light charged ions (Li-1+,Li-2 +, C-2+,C-3+,C-5+, and O-2+,O-3+) in collisions with helium. To better understand the experimental results, we propose a theoretical model to calculate the cross section of projectile electron loss. In this model, an ionization radius of the incident ion was defined under the classical over-barrier model, and we developed "strings" to explain the processes of projectile electron loss, which is similar with the molecular over-barrier model. Theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental results for the cross section of single-electron loss and the ratio of double-to-single ionization of helium associated with one-electron loss.

A VME-based experiment system for n-γ discrimination using the charge comparison method was established. A data acquisition program for controlling the programmable modules and processing data online via VME64X bus was developed through the use of LabVIEW. The two-dimensional (2D) scatter plots of the charge in the slow component vs. the total charge from 241Am-Be and 252Cf neutron sources are presented. The 2D scatter plots of the energy vs. the ratio of the charge in the slow component to the total charge of the pulses are also presented. The quality of n-γ discrimination was checked by the figure-of-merit, and the results showed good performance of n-γ discrimination at the low energy range. Neutrons and γ-rays were separated above 50 keVee (electron-equivalent energy). The quality of n-γ discrimination has been improved compared with others' results at five energies (150, 250, 350, 450, 550 keVee).

A prototype laser ion source that could demonstrate the possibility of producing intense pulsed high charge state ion beams has been established with a commercial Nd:YAG laser (Emax=3 J, 1064 nm, 8–10 ns) to produce laser plasma for the research of Laser Ion Source (LIS). At the laser ion source test bench, high purity (99.998%) aluminum and lead targets have been tested for laser plasma experiment. An Electrostatic Ion Analyzer (EIA) and Electron Multiply Tube (EMT) detector were used to analyze the charge state and energy distribution of the ions produced by the laser ion source. The maximum charge states of Al12+ and Pb7+ were achieved. The results will be presented and discussed in this paper.

We have investigated the dependence of electron capture to the continuum (ECC) on the longitudinal momentum of recoil ions in the transfer ionization of 120 and 300 keV He2+ on argon collisions. Compared with theoretical lines predicted by the kinematical relationship between longitudinal momentum of recoil ions and ECC electrons, it is shown that the electron is mainly transferred to the first excited state of He+ ions. The experimental data also show that the electron capture to the ground state of He+ is accompanied by target excitation, where the target excitation results from direct excitation in the transfer ionization processes.

The transmission of Xe10+ ions, with incident kinetic energies of 200?500?keV, through polycarbonate capillaries, with a diameter of 150?nm and a length of 30??m, has been studied using a one-dimensional position sensitive detector. The transmitted ion yields were measured as a function of the tilt angle. The results are used to evaluate the guiding angle, which is a measure of the guiding power specifying the capability of insulating capillaries to guide ions at equilibrium. Following the semi-empirical scaling law, the potential in the entrance region in this work is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that proposed by low energy data.

A VME-based experiment system for n-{\gamma} discrimination using the charge comparison method was established. A data acquisition program for controlling the programmable modules and processing data online via VME64X bus was developed through the use of LabVIEW. The two-dimensional (2D) scatter plots of the charge in the slow component vs. the total charge of recorded pulses from Am-Be and Cf neutron sources were presented. The 2D scatter plots of the energy vs. the ratio of the charge in the slow component to the total charge of the pulses were presented at the meantime. The quality of n-{\gamma} discrimination was checked by the figure-of-merit, and the results showed good performance of n-{\gamma} discrimination at low energy range. Neutrons and {\gamma}-rays were separated above 50 keVee (electron-equivalent energy). The quality of n-{\gamma} discrimination have been improved compared with others' results at 5 energies (150, 250, 350, 450, 550 keVee).

Our previous work on the classical over-barrier ionization model for helium double ionization is extended to the complex multi-electron system of Ne. The total and q-fold ionization cross sections are calculated at energies ranging from a few tens to several hundred keV/u. The calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental data, and the energy dependence of the cross sections suggests that the multi-ionization of a strong perturbated complex atom is probably the sequential over-barrier ionization process.

The transmission of 10–18 keV O− ions through Al2O3 nano-capillaries has been investigated experimentally. From the angular distribution of the transmitted particles, O0 and O− and O+ ions can be distinguished in the mixed scattered beams. The fractions of the scattered ions increase with both the tilt angle and the incident energy, which indicates strongly that there is dynamical charge exchange in the scattering of negative ions on the insulator surface. Moreover, it is found that the scattered neutrals (O0) are only more or less guided along the capillary axis, which is greatly different from the case of the guiding effect of highly charged ions.

We investigate the angular distribution of the transmitted 18 keV negative ions Cl− through Al2O3 nanocapillaries of 50 nm in diameter and 10 μm in length. Elastic scattering ions and inelastic scattering ions are obtained simultaneously. The experimental result is partially consistent with the guiding effect. We can qualitatively explain our experimental result through a dynamic process.

The 0.5Bi(0.8)La(0.2)FeO(3)-0.5PbTiO(3) (BLF-PT) solid solution nanoparticles of different particle sizes are prepared using sol-gel method and characterized in terms of the size-dependent crystal structure, Raman scattering, dielectric susceptibility, and magnetism. Upon decreasing particle size, the crystal structure evolves from tetragonal symmetry to rhombohedral one, and a substantial enhancement of magnetization is observed. These size-dependent effects are reasonably explained by a simple thermodynamic scenario and first-principles calculation based on the BLF-PT multilayer model. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3525120]

Multiple electron transfer processes are studied for Arq++Ne (q=8, 9, 11, 12) collisions by using multi-parameter coincidence techniques. Various electron transfer processes are identified experimentally and the related cross-sections are measured. The dependence of transfer ionization cross-sections on the recoil charge states is compared with the results from the modified molecular classical overbarrier model. It is found that the modified model described the experimental results reasonably.

Electron Capture and transfer ionization by Ar(8–12)+ in collisions with argon atoms were studied by using the position sensitive and time-of-flight techniques. Some of the measured projectile charge changing cross sections (σq,q−k) and phenomenological cross sections (σrq,q−k) are reported in this paper. The measured cross sections are compared with the predictions of the molecular Coulombic overbarrier model by considering the autoionization decay and electron evaporation of multiply excited states in projectiles and recoil ions respectively.