Abstract: An electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) thruster is disclosed having a plasma chamber which is electrically biased with a positive voltage. The chamber bias serves to efficiently accelerate and expel the positive ions from the chamber. Electrons follow the exiting ions, serving to provide an electrically neutral exhaust plume. In a further embodiment, a downstream shaping magnetic field serves to further accelerate and/or shape the exhaust plume.

Abstract: A microwave source is coupled to an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) system by circularly polarizing the microwave energy from the source in an angular direction with cooperates with the ECR system's magnetic field to produce electron cyclotron resonance, and coupling the circularly polarized microwave energy to the plasma using a quarter wave vacuum window transformer having a dielectric constant which matches the impedance of the circularly polarized microwave energy to the impedance of the plasma. The impedance matching transformer is preferably a vacuum window of the ECR chamber having quarter wave thickness and the appropriate dielectric constant. For high density plasmas in a standard ECR system of 6 cm radius an alumina window 0.98 cm thick procides optimum coupling. The reflected power from the plasma is thereby minimized to provide a dense plasma for the ECR tool while reducing or eliminating the need for manual external tuners for the microwave source.