Some consequences to ion source behavior of high plasma drift velocity

We consider the case of energetic ion beam formation when the ion streaming velocity within the source plasma is substantial, i.e., when the ions have a drift speed (in the positive downstream direction) that is on the order of or greater than the ion acoustic speed in the plasma. Some interesting consequences can follow, including the capability of a negatively biased substrate located in the plasma stream to maintain high bias voltage, and of an ion source with no extractor or “conventionally poor” extractor providing a kind of plasma immersion ion implantation mode of operation. Here we summarize the kind of plasma geometry in which this situation can occur, and describe some experimental observations we’ve made of these effects, with reference to a simple theoretical basis for the mechanism.