Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method for forming a pattern, and in particular, to an apparatus and a method for forming a pattern for the formation of quantum dots or wires with 1˜50 nm dimension using the atomic array of a crystalline material and to the manufacture of functional devices that have such a structure. In the present invention, the functional device means an electronic, magnetic, or optical device that can be fabricated by procedures including the formation process of quantum dots or wires.

Abstract: An ion source 10 for producing a beam of ions from a plasma is disclosed. A plasma is created at the center of an anode 12 by collisions between energetic electrons and molecules of an ionizable gas. The electrons are sourced from a cathode filament 11 and are accelerated to the anode 12 by an applied electric potential. A projection of the anode and a magnetic field having an axis aligned with the axis of the anode act together to concentrate the flow of electrons to the center of the anode 12. The ionizable gas is introduced into an ionization region 13 of the ion source 10 at the point of concentrated electron flow. Ions created in the ionization region are expelled from the ion source as an ion beam centred on the axis of the magnetic field. The surfaces of the anode are coated with an electrically conductive non-oxidising layer of Titanium Nitride to prevent a build up of an insulating layer on the anode.

Abstract: The invention relates to improving the efficiency of ion flow from an ion source, by reducing heat loss from the source both in the ion chamber of the ion source and its constituent parts (e.g. the electron source). This is achieved by lining the interior of the ion chamber and/or the exterior with heat reflective and/or heat insulating material and by formation of an indirectly heated cathode tube such that heat transfer along the tube and away from the ion chamber is restricted by the formation of slits in the tube. Efficiency of the ion source is further enhanced by impregnating and/or coating the front plate of the ion chamber with a material which comprises an element or compound thereof, the ions of which element are the same specie as those to be implanted into the substrate from the source thereof.

Abstract: A positron source is applicable particularly to solid state physics, including a thin target receiving a continuous or practically continuous 10 MeV electron beam in grazing incidence and generating positrons upon interaction with this beam.

Abstract: An electron bombardment heating apparatus, in which thermions emitted from filaments 9 are accelerated and impinged upon a heating plate 2, so as to heat the heating plate 2, wherein a periphery wall of a heated material supporting member 1 having a heating plate as a ceiling thereof is made up with multi-staged periphery wall portions 13a and 13b, being piled up vertically and different in the radius thereof, and those periphery wall portions 13a and 13b are connected with each other by means of a ring-like horizontal wall 5. With this, thermal stress can be mitigated, which is caused due to the difference of temperature between the lower end portion of the heated material supporting member 1 and the heating plate 2 when heating up the heating plate 2, thereby bringing about no breakage in the heated material supporting member if conducting heating and cooling upon the heating plate, repetitively.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a miniaturized structure and associated method function as a mass spectrometer or analyzer and may, with modification, function as an ion generator. The miniaturized structure has a pair of generally planar parallel spaced electrodes which have projecting walls cooperating to define an ion generating chamber and an exit aperture. By controlling the electric field which is oriented perpendicular to an applied magnetic field, the ion beam may be separated into a plurality beams based upon mass to charge ratio with a predetermined mass to charge ratio emerging from the exit of the apparatus and when the apparatus is functioning as a mass spectrometer or analyzer impinges on an ion collector which responsively transmits information to a cooperating processor. Where it is desired to have it function as an ionizer the ion collector disposed adjacent the ion exit is eliminated.

Abstract: An ion source includes an anode and/or cathode which is/are coated with a conductive coating. The coating has a sputtering yield less than that of an uncoated anode and/or cathode, so that erosion of the resulting anode and/or cathode in the source is reduced during source operation. Example coating materials for the anode and/or cathode of the ion beam source include metal borides including but not limited to TiB2 and ZrB2.

Abstract: Various aspects of the invention provide improved approaches and methods for efficiently:

Abstract: This ion source is set up to satisfy a relation L<3.37B−1(VA)×10−6 where the arc voltage applied between a plasma production vessel 2 and a filament 8 is VA[V], the magnetic flux density of a magnetic field 19 within the plasma production vessel 2 is B[T], and the shortest distance from a most frequent electron emission point 9 located almost at the tip center of the filament 8 to a wall face of the plasma production vessel 2 is L[m].

Abstract: This source is applicable particularly to solid state physics and comprises a thin target (28) receiving a continuous or practically continuous 10 MeV electron beam (22) in grazing incidence and generating positrons with interaction with this beam.

Abstract: An indirectly heated cathode ion source includes an extraction current sensor for sensing ion current extracted from the arc chamber and an ion source controller for controlling the filament power supply, the bias power supply and/or the arc power supply. The ion source controller may compare the sensed extraction current with a reference extraction current and determine an error value based on the difference between the sensed extraction current and the reference extraction current. The power supplies of the indirectly heated cathode ion source are controlled to minimize the error value, thus maintaining a substantially constant extraction current. The ion source controller utilizes a control algorithm, for example a closed feedback loop, to control the power supplies in response to the error value. In a first control algorithm, the bias current IB supplied by the bias power supply is varied so as to control the extraction current IE.

Abstract: An electron beam system is based on a plasma generator in a plasma ion source with an accelerator column. The electrons are extracted from a plasma cathode in a plasma ion source, e.g. a multicusp plasma ion source. The beam can be scanned in both the x and y directions, and the system can be operated with multiple beamlets. A compact focused ion or electron beam system has a plasma ion source and an all-electrostatic beam acceleration and focusing column. The ion source is a small chamber with the plasma produced by radio-frequency (RF) induction discharge. The RF antenna is wound outside the chamber and connected to an RF supply. Ions or electrons can be extracted from the source. A multi-beam system has several sources of different species and an electron beam source.

Abstract: An ion source (10) for an ion implanter is provided, comprising: (i) an ionization chamber (14) defined at least partially by chamber walls (12), and having an inlet (45) into which a sputtering gas may be injected and an aperture (18) through which an ion beam (B) may be extracted: (ii) an ionizing electron source (44) for ionizing the sputtering gas to form a sputtering plasma; and (iii) a sputterable repeller (100). The sputterable repeller both (a) repels electrons emitted by the electron source, and (b) provides a source of sputtered material that can be ionized by the electron source. the sputterable repeller (100) comprises a slug (108) of sputterable material, and further comprises mounting structure (102, 104) for removably mounting the slug within the ionization chamber (14), so that the slug is made removably detachable from the mounting structure.

Abstract: An ion source for ion implantation system and a method of ion implantation employs a controlled broad, directional electron beam to ionize process gas or vapor, such as decaborane, within an ionization volume by primary electron impact, in CMOS manufacturing and the like. Isolation of the electron gun for producing the energetic electron beam and of the beam dump to which the energetic beam is directed, as well as use of the thermally conductive members for cooling the ionization chamber and the vaporizer, enable use with large molecular species such as decaborane, and other materials which are unstable with temperature. Electron optics systems, facilitate focusing of electrons from an emitting surface to effectively ionize a desired volume of the gas or vapor that is located adjacent the extraction aperture. The components enable retrofit into ion implanters that have used other types of ion sources.

Abstract: An ion source (10) for producing a beam of ions from a plasma is disclosed. A plasma is created at the center of an annular anode (12) by collisions between energetic electrons and molecules of an ionisable gas. The electrons are sourced from a cathode filament (11) and are accelerated to the anode (12) by an applied electric potential. A magnetic field having an axis aligned with the axis of the anode acts to concentrate the flow of electrons to the center of the anode (12). The ionisable gas is introduced into the ion source (10) at the point of concentrated electron flow. Ions created in the resultant plasma are expelled from the ion source as an ion beam centered on the axis of the magnetic field. The surfaces of the anode are coated with an electrically conductive non-oxidising layer of Titanium Nitride to prevent a build up of an insulating layer on the anode.

Abstract: An indirectly heated button cathode for use in the ion source of an ion implanter has a button member formed of a slug piece mounted in a collar piece. The slug piece is thermally insulated from the collar piece to enable it to operate at a higher temperature so that electron emission is enhanced and concentrated over the surface of the slug piece. The slug piece and collar piece can be both of tungsten. Instead the slug piece may be of tantalum to provide a lower thermionic work function. The resultant concentrated plasma in the ion source is effective to enhance the production of higher charge state ions, particularly P+++ for subsequent acceleration for high energy implantation.

Abstract: An ion source configured for integration into both existing ion implanters used in semiconductor manufacturing and emerging ion implantation platforms. The ion source in accordance with the present invention includes the following features, all of which depart from the prior art to produce a well-focused, collimated and controllable ion beam. These features include: ionizing electron beams generated external to the ionization chamber, thereby extending the emitter lifetime; 90 degree magnetic deflection of electron beams such that no line-of-sight exists between the emitter and the process gas load, and the emitter is protected from bombardment by energetic charged particles; two opposed electron beams which can be operated simultaneously or separately; and use of a deceleration lens to adjust the final energy of the electron beam, substantially without affecting electron beam generation and deflection.

Abstract: A fusion device consisting of two colliding ion beams, each produced by a high power, femtosecond regime, chirped pulsed amplification (CPA) laser acceleration device. The CPA laser creates an ionized plasma and subsequently accelerates electrons to multi-MeV energies, thus creating electric fields due to separation of electrons and ions, of sufficient magnitude to accelerate the plasma ions to energies ranging from multi-keV to multi-MeV levels. The magnetic fields created by the laser pulses, as well as the electrons and/or ions, also helps confine the ions to the region of the size of the laser beam focal spot diameter, and thus enhance the collision probability of the counter-streaming ions and provide a sizable population of fusion events. Ion beam generation by high powered, short pulse CPA lasers has been previously demonstrated in thin foil targets.

Abstract: An ion source configured for integration into both existing ion implanters used in semiconductor manufacturing and emerging ion implantation platforms, and is also suitable for use in ion dosing systems used in the processing of flat panel displays.

Abstract: An ion source (10) for an ion implanter is provided, comprising: (i) an ionization chamber (14) defined at least partially by chamber walls (12), and having an inlet (45) into which a sputtering gas may be injected and an aperture (18) through which an ion beam (B) may be extracted; (ii) an ionizing electron source (44) for ionizing the sputtering gas to form a sputtering plasma; and (iii) a sputterable repeller (100). The sputterable repeller both (a) repels electrons emitted by the electron source, and (b) provides a source of sputtered material that can be ionized by the electron source. The sputterable repeller (100) comprises a slug (108) of sputterable material, and further comprises mounting structure (102, 104) for removably mounting the slug within the ionization chamber (14), so that the slug is made removably detachable from the mounting structure.

Abstract: An oxygen ion containing plasma is generated using a hot filament ion source. The oxygen ions in the plasma come from an oxide source (e.g., a metal oxide) which has a lower free energy of formation than that of the filament metal oxide (e.g., WO3) at the operating temperatures of the ion source. Consequently, oxidation of the filament and other metal components of the arc chamber is limited, or even prevented. Thus, the invention can advantageously lead to longer filament lives as compared to certain conventional processes that generate oxygen plasmas using hot filament sources.

Abstract: The metastable atom bombardment source provides a charged particle free beam of metastable species that can be used to bombard and ionize organic and inorganic substances in a gas phase. The metastable atoms are produced by inducing a discharge in a gas (rare gases or small molecules). The discharge is curved between the cathode and anode, with the cathode located in a medium pressure zone and the anode located off-axis in a low pressure zone. A nozzle located between the cathode and the anode provides a collimated beam of metastable atoms of low kinetic energy that is directed at an ion volume containing the substances to be analyzed. By selecting the energy of the metastable state, selective fragmentation of molecules, particularly large molecular weight molecules, can be carried out.

Abstract: According to the ion generation method, ion source material composed of an element of desired ions to be generated and I is heated so that vapor of the compound is generated, and the ions are generated by discharging the vapor. The iodide has no corrosiveness, and can be stably ionized. Further, it hardly reacts with oxygen or water and is safe.

Abstract: The invention refers to the field of electron beam lithography, in particular to a method for directing an electron beam (6) onto a target position (Z) on the surface of a substrate, the substrate first being placed onto a movable stage (2) and the stage (2) then being displaced stepwise, in the X and/or Y coordinates of a Cartesian grid, until the target position (Z) is located at a spacing from the impact point (P) of the undeflected electron beam (6) which is smaller than the smallest step distance of the stage displacement system, and then the electron beam (6) is directed onto the target position (Z) by deflection. This results in a considerable increase in positioning accuracy in electron beam lithography. Positioning accuracies on the order of 0.1 nm to 0.05 are achievable. The method is suitable in particular for writing grating patterns in which the spacing between the individual grating lines must be maintained with high accuracy.

Abstract: A neutral beam ionizing apparatus for electron impact ionization of a substantially cylindrical neutral beam. The apparatus includes an electron source, and a circularly cylindrical ionizing region that is substantially free of magnetic fields. In one embodiment of the invention, the beam is a gas cluster beam, and the electron source includes a heated filament for emitting thermions, the filament including one or more direction reversals shaped to produce self-nulling magnetic fields so as to minimize the magnetic field due to filament heating current. In another embodiment of the invention, a neutral beam ionizing apparatus for electron impact ionization of a substantially cylindrical neutral beam includes at least one electron source, and an elliptically cylindrical ionizing region.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for distributing dopant gas or vapor in an arc chamber of ion source used as part of an ion implanter. The apparatus includes a plenum, a sub-plenum, and a baffle to distribute the dopant gas or vapor through out the arc chamber. The method allows dopant gas and vapors to be distributed in such a way as to cause efficient reaction of dopant gas or vapor molecules with electrons created by a filament contained in the arc chamber. The reaction of dopant gas or vapor molecules with the electrons in turn produces positively charged ions by the ion implanter.

Abstract: An indirectly heated button cathode for use in the ion source of an ion implanter has a button member formed of a slug of tantalum mounted in a collar of tungsten. The lower thermionic work function of tantalum causes electron emission to be concentrated over the surface of a tantalum slug. The tantalum slug may be mounted to enable it to operate at a higher temperature compared to the surrounding tungsten collar portion. The resultant concentrated plasma in the ion source is effective to enhance the production of higher charge state ions, particularly P+++ for subsequent acceleration for high energy implantation.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method for forming a pattern, and in particular, to an apparatus and a method for forming a pattern for the formation of quantum dots or wires with 1˜50 nm dimension using the atomic array of a crystalline material and to the manufacture of functional devices that have such a structure.

Abstract: An automatic control servo system having a number of cascaded loops equal in number to the number of voltage sources applied to elements of a high-emittance electron source provides accurate and stable electron emission current control independently of beam energy and accommodates large differences in thermal mass between the elements of the electron source, as may be encountered in high-emittance, indirectly heated cathode electron sources. Individual loops of the system may be critically tuned independently of each other.

Abstract: A system in accordance with the invention which generates electrons by means of a field-emission cathode comprises an array of electron-emitting micropoints associated with a grid and carried by a substrate with integral heater means for heating the micropoints to a temperature in the range approximately 300° C. to approximately 400° C. and maintaining them at that temperature during emission of electrons. The cathode can therefore function at higher residual air pressures with no risk of breakdown.

Abstract: To provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing method able to form a sufficiently precise pattern by ablation. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising a light source emitting light of a first wavelength on the surface of a wafer and a mask through which at least a part of the light of the first wavelength passes and removing a material of the part of the wafer exposed by the light of the first wavelength by vaporization, wherein the light source comprises an electron beam generating means for generating an electron beam and a light emitting means for emitting light of a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength and wherein the light of the first wavelength is inverse Compton scattered light obtained by collision of electrons in the electron beam with photons in the light of the second wavelength causing the energy of the electrons to be given to the photons and a semiconductor device manufacturing method using the apparatus.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, the ion source of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes an electron gun having an electron source and at least one electrode for conditioning the flow of electrons, followed by at least one microchannel wafer for generating a pulsed secondary electron beam containing a greater number of electrons from a pulsed primary electron beam. The secondary electron beam enters a gas ionization area of an ion gun which produces a flow of ions which is then passed through the flight tube in order to be analyzed by an ion detector. This provides a high-performance ion source which is compact, sensitive and easy to integrate.

Abstract: In an ion source, a rear reflector 10 is electrically insulated from both a plasma production vessel 2 and a filament 6. The rear reflector 10 and an opposed reflector 8 are electrically connected. Further, a DC bias power supply 32 is a power supply individuated from a filament power supply 24 and an arc power supply 26. The DC bias power supply 32 is placed for applying a bias voltage VB between the opposed reflector 8 and the rear reflector 10 and the plasma production vessel 2 with both the reflectors 8 and 10 as negative potential.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved electron ionizer for use in a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The improved electron ionizer includes a repeller plate that ejects sample atoms or molecules, an ionizer chamber, a cathode that emits an electron beam into the ionizer chamber, an exit opening for excess electrons to escape, at least one shim plate to collimate said electron beam, extraction apertures, and a plurality of lens elements for focusing the extracted ions onto entrance apertures.

Abstract: An electron source has an anode and a cathode that is capable of being negatively biased relative to the anode, the cathode having an electron emitting portion and a cathode axis. An electromagnetic radiation source is adapted to generate an electromagnetic radiation beam to heat the cathode. A lens is adapted to direct the electromagnetic radiation beam onto the cathode, the lens having a lens axis that forms an acute angle with, or is substantially parallel to, the cathode axis of the electron emitting portion.

Abstract: In an ionization device of a mass spectrometer, an abnormality diagnosis device or control section switches a change-over switch without lighting up a filament, and reads a trap current and a total current supplied to the filament, by current/voltage converting sections. Then, by determining whether the trap current and the total current are zero or more, a trouble due to a contact between the filament or a trap electrode and an ionization chamber is found. When it is determined that a condition is normal, the filament is turned on and the feedback control is operated. Also, the trap current and the total current are respectively read, and in accordance with the values thereof, there is found a deficiency due to a shift of the attachment position of the filament or the trap electrode, or a burnout of the filament.

Abstract: An ion source for ion implantation system and a method of ion implantation employs a controlled broad, directional electron beam to ionize process gas or vapor, such as decaborane, within an ionization volume by primary electron impact, in CMOS manufacturing and the like. Isolation of the electron gun for producing the energetic electron beam and of the beam dump to which the energetic beam is directed, as well as use of the thermally conductive members for cooling the ionization chamber and the vaporizer, enable use with large molecular species such as decaborane, and other materials which are unstable with temperature. Electron optics systems, facilitate focusing of electrons from an emitting surface to effectively ionize a desired volume of the gas or vapor that is located adjacent the extraction aperture. The components enable retrofit into ion implanters that have used other types of ion sources.

Abstract: An improved quadrupole mass spectrometer is described. The improvement lies in the substitution of the conventional hot filament electron source with a cold cathode field emitter array which in turn allows operating a small QMS at much high internal pressures then are currently achievable. By eliminating of the hot filament such problems as thermally “cracking” delicate analyte molecules, outgassing a “hot” filament, high power requirements, filament contamination by outgas species, and spurious em fields are avoid all together. In addition, the ability of produce FEAs using well-known and well developed photolithographic techniques, permits building a QMS having multiple redundancies of the ionization source at very low additional cost.

Abstract: A source of radiation (10,12), particularly a pulsed accelerated electron beam, directs a beam of radiation through an irradiation chamber (14, 50). The irradiation chamber is depleted of oxygen and oxygen containing gases, such as being drawn to a vacuum of 10−1 or greater Torr by a vacuum pump (20, 52). Particulate fluoropolymer material is entrained (36) in substantially oxygen free gas and conveyed through the irradiation chamber. The accelerated electrons break chemical bonds in the fluoropolymer particles and electrostatically charge the particles. Magnetic fields (42, 60) of different polarity rotate the charged particles such that they are irradiated from different sides. The irradiated fluoropolymer particles are cooled (24) and separated (26) from the entraining gas. The entraining gas is recirculated through pneumatic line (34) for a continuous cycle. In an alternate batch processing embodiment, the fluoropolymer material is placed in the shallow container (50) which is sealed and evacuated.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for rapidly controlling the rate of ion generation in an ion source. The ion source includes an ion chamber, filament-cathode, a mirror electrode, and a grid. The ion source is operable to generate an ion beam from the ionization of ion precursor gas present in the ion chamber by electrons emitted from the filament. The rate of ion generation is controlled by modifying the potential of the grid relative to the filament to control the number of electrons available for ionization between the grid and the mirror electrode. An alternative embodiment for rapidly controlling the rate of ion generation in an ion source is also disclosed.

Abstract: Damaging forming deposits and etching is reduced in an ion source by introducing an oxygenated gas during operation of the ion source. Embodiments include an ion source in fluid communication with a source of oxygenated gas and introducing about 1% to about 10% of carbondioxide as the oxygenated gas together with a feed material.

Abstract: An ion implanting architecture (60). The architecture comprises an arc chamber (64) having an interior area (64i). The architecture also comprises a plurality of electron sources (66, 68) disposed at least partially within the interior area. Each of the plurality of sources comprises a conductive plate (72, 80) operable to emit electrons into the interior area and a heating element (70, 78)for transferring heat to the conductive plate.

Abstract: Electron-beam sources are disclosed that exhibit substantially reduced spherical aberration compared to conventional sources. In a beam produced by the cathode of such a source, axially propagating electrons are subjected to a lens action by voltage applied to a Wehnelt electrode and an extraction electrode. The cathode includes a peripheral portion that is “drawn back” (displaced along the axis of the source away from the beam-propagation direction) relative to a center portion of the cathode. With such a cathode, the percentage of dimensions of the crossover involved in spherical aberration of the crossover is reduced. This improves the uniformity of beam current at a lithographic substrate and minimizes location-dependency of the aperture angle. Since the Wehnelt voltage can be reduced, positional changes in the electrical field at the cathode surface are reduced, and the distribution of electrons in the beam propagating from the cathode surface is made more uniform than conventionally.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved electron ionizer for use in a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The improved electron ionizer includes a repeller plate that ejects sample atoms or molecules, an ionizer chamber, a cathode that emits an electron beam into the ionizer chamber, an exit opening for excess electrons to escape, at least one shim plate to collimate said electron beam, extraction apertures, and a plurality of lens elements for focusing the extracted ions onto entrance apertures.

Abstract: An electron impact elastic recoil hydrogen atom analyzer includes an electron gun that projects an electron beam on a surface of a specimen for electron bombardment to make hydrogen atoms contained in the specimen elastically recoil, a hydrogen detecting unit that detects hydrogen atoms emitted from the specimen, and a data processing unit that determines a depth-distribution of hydrogen in the specimen on the basis of data provided by the hydrogen detecting unit. The hydrogen detecting unit includes an ionizer for ionizing hydrogen atoms emitted from the specimen, a deflector for energy analysis of hydrogen ions, and an electron multiplying channel plate for detecting the deflected hydrogen ions.

Abstract: The invention refers to the field of electron beam lithography, in particular to a method for directing an electron beam (6) onto a target position (Z) on the surface of a substrate, the substrate first being placed onto a movable stage (2) and the stage (2) then being displaced stepwise, in the X and/or Y coordinates of a Cartesian grid, until the target position (Z) is located at a spacing from the impact point (P) of the undeflected electron beam (6) which is smaller than the smallest step distance of the stage displacement system, and then the electron beam (6) is directed onto the target position (Z) by deflection.

Abstract: An improved ion source head for use with an ion implantation machine includes an arc chamber within which a heated filament creates an ion plasma from a source gas. The source gas is introduced into the chamber evenly through at least four, but preferably six through hole openings in a bottom liner in the chamber. Even distribution of the gas entering the chamber reduces build-up and flaking of material in the chamber that can result in short circuits.

Abstract: The ionization efficiency of a mass spectrometer is increased by creating a potential well between the electron source and the electron collector. The potential well is created by applying to the collector a reflection potential having an amplitude which is the same as or substantially the same as the amplitude of the potential applied to the electron source and a polarity which is the same as the polarity of the electron source potential. The potentials applied to the electron source and electron collector are relative to the ionization region effected between the source and collector. Many of the electrons produced by the electron source oscillate back and forth in the potential well thereby allowing those electrons a greater opportunity to interact with sample molecules to thus increase ionization efficiency.

Abstract: An ion source (50) for an ion implanter is provided, comprising a remotely located vaporizer (51) and an ionizer (53) connected to the vaporizer by a feed tube (62). The vaporizer comprises a sublimator (52) for receiving a solid source material such as decaborane and sublimating (vaporizing) the decaborane. A heating mechanism is provided for heating the sublimator, and the feed tube connecting the sublimator to the ionizer, to maintain a suitable temperature for the vaporized decaborane. The ionizer (53) comprises a body (96) having an inlet (119) for receiving the vaporized decaborane; an ionization chamber (108) in which the vaporized decaborane may be ionized by an energy-emitting element (110) to create a plasma; and an exit aperture (126) for extracting an ion beam comprised of the plasma. A cooling mechanism (100, 104) is provided for lowering the temperature of walls (128) of the ionization chamber (108) (e.g., to below 350° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved electron ionizer for use in a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The improved electron ionizer includes a repeller plate that ejects sample atoms or molecules, an ionizer chamber, a cathode that emits an electron beam into the ionizer chamber, an exit opening for excess electrons to escape, at least one shim plate to collimate said electron beam, extraction apertures, and a plurality of lens elements for focusing the extracted ions onto entrance apertures.