IMPACT: A facility to study the interaction of low-energy intense particle beams with dynamic heterogeneous surfaces

J. P. Allain, M. Nieto, M. R. Hendricks, P. Plotkin, S. S. Harilal, A. Hassanein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Interaction of Materials with Particles and Components Testing (IMPACT) experimental facility is furnished with multiple ion sources and in situ diagnostics to study the modification of surfaces undergoing physical, chemical, and electronic changes during exposure to energetic particle beams. Ion beams with energies in the range between 20 and 5000 eV can bombard samples at flux levels in the range of 1010 - 1015 cm-2 s-1; parameters such as ion angle of incidence and exposed area are also controllable during the experiment. IMPACT has diagnostics that allow full characterization of the beam, including a Faraday cup, a beam imaging system, and a retarding field energy analyzer. IMPACT is equipped with multiple diagnostics, such as electron (Auger, photoelectron) and ion scattering spectroscopies that allow different probing depths of the sample to monitor compositional changes in multicomponent and/or layered targets. A unique real-time erosion diagnostic based on a dual quartz crystal microbalance measures deposition from an eroding surface with rates smaller than 0.01 nms, which can be converted to a sputter yield measurement. The monitoring crystal can be rotated and placed in the target position so that the deposited material on the quartz crystal oscillator surface can be characterized without transfer outside of the vacuum chamber.

Original languageEnglish
Article number113105
JournalReview of Scientific Instruments
Volume78
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'IMPACT: A facility to study the interaction of low-energy intense particle beams with dynamic heterogeneous surfaces'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this