Development and properties of a Freeman-type hybrid ion source

In order to investigate the fundamentals of the deposition of ions with energies in the range of 10–100 eV, we developed Freeman-type hybrid ion source and a low-energy mass-analyzed ion beam deposition system. Analyzing the energy distributions of ions generated, we estimated the properties of the ion source. Energy distributions of noble gas ions (Ne+, Ar+, Kr+, Xe+), and metal ions (Ti+, Fe+, W+, C+) were measured by a PPM421 plasma process monitor with a cylindrical mirror analyzer and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. For instance, Ar+ ions transported at 25 keV were decelerated to 103 eV with an energy spread of ±3 eV, and Ti+ ions generated by sputtering of a titanium target had an energy distribution of 107±3 eV. The energy of ions generated by this apparatus was well defined, and so it is possible to investigate film formation processes by low-energy ions.