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At least 217 records · Page 12

Summary of the LARP Mini-Workshop on Beam-Beam Compensation 2007

The LARP Mini-Workshop on Beam-Beam Compensation 2007 was held at SLAC, 2-4 July 2007. It was attended by 33 participants from 10 institutions in Asia, Europe, and America. 26 presentations were given, while more than one third of the time was allocated to discussions. The workshop web site is Ref. [1]. The workshop's main focus was on long-range and head-on beam-beam compensation, with a view towards application in the LHC. Other topics included the beam-beam performance of previous, existing and future circular colliders; beam-beam simulations; new operating modes, theory, and unexplained phenomena. This summary is also published as Ref. [2].

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Ion bunch length effects on the beam-beam interaction and its compensation in a high-luminosity ring-ring electron-ion collider

One of the luminosity limits in a ring-ring electron-ion collider is the beam-beam effect on the electrons. In the limit of short ion bunches, simulation studies have shown that this limit can be significantly increased by head-on beam-beam compensation with an electron lens. However, with an ion bunch length comparable to the beta-function at the IP in conjunction with a large beam-beam parameter, the electrons perform a sizeable fraction of a betatron oscillation period inside the long ion bunches. We present recent simulation results on the compensation of this beam-beam interaction with multiple electron lenses.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

External-Beam Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Using Multiple Proton Beam Configurations

Purpose: To explore multiple proton beam configurations for optimizing dosimetry and minimizing uncertainties for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and to compare the dosimetry of proton with that of photon radiotherapy for treatment of the same clinical volumes. Methods and Materials: Proton treatment plans were created for 11 sequential patients treated with three-dimensional radiotherapy (3DCRT) photon APBI using passive scattering proton beams (PSPB) and were compared with clinically treated 3DCRT photon plans. Monte Carlo calculations were used to verify the accuracy of the proton dose calculation from the treatment planning system. The impact of range, motion, and setup uncertainty was evaluated with tangential vs. en face beams. Results: Compared with 3DCRT photons, the absolute reduction of the mean of V100 (the volume receiving 100% of prescription dose), V90, V75, V50, and V20 for normal breast using protons are 3.4%, 8.6%, 11.8%, 17.9%, and 23.6%, respectively. For breast skin, with the similar V90 as 3DCRT photons, the proton plan significantly reduced V75, V50, V30, and V10. The proton plan also significantly reduced the dose to the lung and heart. Dose distributions from Monte Carlo simulations demonstrated minimal deviation from the treatment planning system. The tangential beam configuration showed significantly less dose fluctuation in the chest wall region but was more vulnerable to respiratory motion than that for the en face beams. Worst-case analysis demonstrated the robustness of designed proton beams with range and patient setup uncertainties. Conclusions: APBI using multiple proton beams spares significantly more normal tissue, including nontarget breast and breast skin, than 3DCRT using photons. It is robust, considering the range and patient setup uncertainties.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Radioactive Ion Beam Production Capabilities At The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) is a national user facility for research with radioactive ion beams (RIBs) that has been in routine operation since 1996. It is located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and operated by the ORNL Physics Division. The principal mission of the HRIBF is the production of high quality beams of shortlived radioactive isotopes to support research in nuclear structure physics and nuclear astrophysics. HRIBF is currently unique worldwide in its ability to provide neutron-rich fission fragment beams post-accelerated to energies above the Coulomb barrier for nuclear reactions. HRIBF produces RIBs by the isotope separator on-line (ISOL) technique using a particle accelerator system that consists of the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron (ORIC) driver accelerator, one of the two Injectors for Radioactive Ion Species (IRIS1 or IRIS2) production systems, and the 25-MV tandem electrostatic accelerator that is used for RIB post-acceleration. ORIC provides a light ion beam (proton, deuteron, or alpha) which is directed onto a thick target mounted in a target-ion source (TIS) assembly located on IRIS1 or IRIS2. Radioactive atoms that diffuse from the target material are ionized, accelerated, mass selected, and transported to the tandem accelerator where they are further accelerated to energies suitable for nuclear physics research. RIBs are transported through a beam line system to various experimental end stations including the Recoil Mass Spectrometer (RMS) for nuclear structure research, and the Daresbury Recoil Separator (DRS) for nuclear astrophysics research. HRIBF also includes two off-line ion source test facilities, one low-power on-line ISOL test facility (OLTF), and one high-power on-line ISOL test facility (HPTL). This paper provides an overview and status update of HRIBF, describes the recently completed $4.7M IRIS2 addition and incorporation of laser systems for beam production and purification, and discusses a proposed replacement of the ORIC driver accelerator.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Beam Loss Studies for the 2-MW LBNE Proton Beam Line

Severe limits are put on allowable beam loss during extraction and transport of a 2.3 MW primary proton beam for the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) at Fermilab. Detailed simulations with the STRUCT and MARS codes have evaluated the impact of beam loss of 1.6 x 10{sup 14} protons per pulse at 120 GeV, ranging from a single pulse full loss to sustained small fractional loss. It is shown that loss of a single beam pulse at 2.3 MW will result in a catastrophic event: beam pipe destruction, damaged magnets and very high levels of residual radiation inside and outside the tunnel. Acceptable beam loss limits have been determined and robust solutions developed to enable efficient proton beam operation under these constraints.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Transformation of double-half inverse Gaussian hollow beams into superposition of finite Airy beams using an optical Airy transform

In the present work, we investigate theoretically the transformation of a double-half inverse Gaussian hollow (DHIGH) beam into a superposition of finite Airy beams by using an optical Airy transform system. The analytical expression of the generated finite Airy beam is derived by means of the generalized Huygens–Fresnel integral diffraction. Numerical calculations show that the optical Airy transform system converts the central dark spot of the hollow incident beam into peak intensity. It is demonstrated that the characteristics of the transverse intensity distribution of the output finite Airy beam are determined by the phase pattern’s constants of the Airy transform system and the radius size of the incident DHIGH beam. Moreover, it is shown that the profile of the central peak intensity of the generated beam can be controlled by means of the radius size of the incident hollow DHIGH beam.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Beam-driven acceleration in ultra-dense plasma media

Accelerating parameters of beam-driven wakefield acceleration in an extremely dense plasma column has been analyzed with the dynamic framed particle-in-cell plasma simulator, and compared with analytic calculations. In the model, a witness beam undergoes a TeV/m scale alternating potential gradient excited by a micro-bunched drive beam in a 10{sup 25 }m{sup −3} and 1.6 × 10{sup 28 }m{sup −3} plasma column. The acceleration gradient, energy gain, and transformer ratio have been extensively studied in quasi-linear, linear-, and blowout-regimes. The simulation analysis indicated that in the beam-driven acceleration system a hollow plasma channel offers ∼20% higher acceleration gradient by enlarging the channel radius (r) from 0.2 λ{sub p} to 0.6 λ{sub p} in a blowout regime. This paper suggests a feasibility of TeV/m scale acceleration with a hollow crystalline structure (e.g., nanotubes) of high electron plasma density.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Quantitative analysis of beam delivery parameters and treatment process time for proton beam therapy

Purpose: To evaluate patient census, equipment clinical availability, maximum daily treatment capacity, use factor for major beam delivery parameters, and treatment process time for actual treatments delivered by proton therapy systems. Methods: The authors have been recording all beam delivery parameters, including delivered dose, energy, range, spread-out Bragg peak widths, gantry angles, and couch angles for every treatment field in an electronic medical record system. We analyzed delivery system downtimes that had been recorded for every equipment failure and associated incidents. These data were used to evaluate the use factor of beam delivery parameters, the size of the patient census, and the equipment clinical availability of the facility. The duration of each treatment session from patient walk-in and to patient walk-out of the treatment room was measured for 82 patients with cancers at various sites. Results: The yearly average equipment clinical availability in the last 3 yrs (June 2007-August 2010) was 97%, which exceeded the target of 95%. Approximately 2200 patients had been treated as of August 2010. The major disease sites were genitourinary (49%), thoracic (25%), central nervous system (22%), and gastrointestinal (2%). Beams have been delivered in approximately 8300 treatment fields. The use factor for six beam delivery parameters was also evaluated. Analysis of the treatment process times indicated that approximately 80% of this time was spent for patient and equipment setup. The other 20% was spent waiting for beam delivery and beam on. The total treatment process time can be expressed by a quadratic polynomial of the number of fields per session. The maximum daily treatment capacity of our facility using the current treatment processes was estimated to be 133 {+-} 35 patients. Conclusions: This analysis shows that the facility has operated at a high performance level and has treated a large number of patients with a variety of diseases. The use factor of beam delivery parameters varies by disease site. Further improvements in efficiency may be realized in the equipment- and patient-related processes of treatment.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Determination of the beam quality index of high-energy photon beams under nonstandard reference conditions

Purpose: At some modern radiotherapy machines it is not possible to achieve reference conditions for the measurement of beam quality indices used in dosimetry codes of practice, such as IAEA TRS-398 and AAPM TG-51. This work aims at providing self-consistent and simpler expressions and more accurate fits for a limited range of beams of interest than have been proposed previously for deriving these beam quality indices from measurements. Methods: The starting point is a formula proposed by Sauer [Med. Phys. 36, 4168-4172 (2009)] for deriving the beam quality index used in IAEA TRS-398, TPR{sub 20,10}, from a measurement of the tissue phantom ratio at depths of 20 cm and 10 cm in water for an s Multiplication-Sign s cm{sup 2} (equivalent) square field, TPR{sub 20,10}(s). First, a self-consistent version of this formula is established followed by a simpler version by making a linear approximation. A similar approach is proposed to derive the beam quality index used in AAPM TG-51, %dd(10){sub X}, from a measurement of PDD{sub 10}(s), the percentage depth dose at 10 cm for a square field with size s. All models were fitted to subsets of relevant data from BJR supplement 25. Results: The linear models for TPR{sub 20,10}(s) and exponential models for PDD{sub 10}(s) as a function of the (equivalent) square field size can reproduce the beam quality within 0.3% and beam quality correction factors within 0.05% for square field sizes ranging from 4 cm to 12 cm and nominal photon energies from 4 MV to 12 MV. For higher energy beams the errors are only slightly worse but for %dd(10){sub X}, an additional uncertainty component has to be considered for the electron contamination correction. Conclusions: The models proposed here can be used in practical recommendations for the dosimetry of small and nonstandard fields.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

SU-E-J-99: Reconstruction of Cone Beam CT Image Using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Exit Beams

Purpose: To test the possibility of obtaining an image of the treated volume during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with exit beams. Method: Using a Varian Clinac 21EX and MVCT detector the following three sets of detector projection data were obtained for cone beam CT reconstruction with and without a Catphan 504 phantom. 1) 72 projection images from 20 × 16 cm{sup 2} open beam with 3 MUs, 2) 72 projection images from 20 × 16 cm{sup 2} MLC closed beam with 14 MUs. 3) 137 projection images from a test RapicArc QA plan. All projection images were obtained in ‘integrated image’ mode. We used OSCaR code to reconstruct the cone beam CT images. No attempts were made to reduce scatter or artifacts. Results: With projection set 1) we obtained a good quality MV CBCT image by optimizing the reconstruction parameters. Using projection set 2) we were not able to obtain a CBCT image of the phantom, which was determined to be due to the variation of interleaf leakage with gantry angle. From projection set 3), we were able to obtain a weak but meaningful signal in the image, especially in the target area where open beam signals were dominant. This finding suggests that one might be able to acquire CBCT images with rough body shape and some details inside the irradiated target area. Conclusion: Obtaining patient images using the VMAT exit beam is challenging but possible. We were able to determine sources of image degradation such as gantry angle dependent interleaf leakage and beams with a large scatter component. We are actively working on improving image quality.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

TH-C-BRD-04: Beam Modeling and Validation with Triple and Double Gaussian Dose Kernel for Spot Scanning Proton Beams

Purpose: To present the validity of our beam modeling with double and triple Gaussian dose kernels for spot scanning proton beams in Nagoya Proton Therapy Center. This study investigates the conformance between the measurements and calculation results in absolute dose with two types of beam kernel. Methods: A dose kernel is one of the important input data required for the treatment planning software. The dose kernel is the 3D dose distribution of an infinitesimal pencil beam of protons in water and consists of integral depth doses and lateral distributions. We have adopted double and triple Gaussian model as lateral distribution in order to take account of the large angle scattering due to nuclear reaction by fitting simulated inwater lateral dose profile for needle proton beam at various depths. The fitted parameters were interpolated as a function of depth in water and were stored as a separate look-up table for the each beam energy. The process of beam modeling is based on the method of MDACC [X.R.Zhu 2013]. Results: From the comparison results between the absolute doses calculated by double Gaussian model and those measured at the center of SOBP, the difference is increased up to 3.5% in the high-energy region because the large angle scattering due to nuclear reaction is not sufficiently considered at intermediate depths in the double Gaussian model. In case of employing triple Gaussian dose kernels, the measured absolute dose at the center of SOBP agrees with calculation within ±1% regardless of the SOBP width and maximum range. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the beam modeling results of dose distribution employing double and triple Gaussian dose kernel. Treatment planning system with the triple Gaussian dose kernel has been successfully verified and applied to the patient treatment with a spot scanning technique in Nagoya Proton Therapy Center.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Development of a golden beam data set for the commissioning of a proton double-scattering system in a pencil-beam dose calculation algorithm

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation is to determine if a single set of beam data, described by a minimal set of equations and fitting variables, can be used to commission different installations of a proton double-scattering system in a commercial pencil-beam dose calculation algorithm. Methods: The beam model parameters required to commission the pencil-beam dose calculation algorithm (virtual and effective SAD, effective source size, and pristine-peak energy spread) are determined for a commercial double-scattering system. These parameters are measured in a first room and parameterized as function of proton energy and nozzle settings by fitting four analytical equations to the measured data. The combination of these equations and fitting values constitutes the golden beam data (GBD). To determine the variation in dose delivery between installations, the same dosimetric properties are measured in two additional rooms at the same facility, as well as in a single room at another facility. The difference between the room-specific measurements and the GBD is evaluated against tolerances that guarantee the 3D dose distribution in each of the rooms matches the GBD-based dose distribution within clinically reasonable limits. The pencil-beam treatment-planning algorithm is commissioned with the GBD. The three-dimensional dose distribution in water is evaluated in the four treatment rooms and compared to the treatment-planning calculated dose distribution. Results: The virtual and effective SAD measurements fall between 226 and 257 cm. The effective source size varies between 2.4 and 6.2 cm for the large-field options, and 1.0 and 2.0 cm for the small-field options. The pristine-peak energy spread decreases from 1.05% at the lowest range to 0.6% at the highest. The virtual SAD as well as the effective source size can be accurately described by a linear relationship as function of the inverse of the residual energy. An additional linear correction term as function of RM-step thickness is required for accurate parameterization of the effective SAD. The GBD energy spread is given by a linear function of the exponential of the beam energy. Except for a few outliers, the measured parameters match the GBD within the specified tolerances in all of the four rooms investigated. For a SOBP field with a range of 15 g/cm{sup 2} and an air gap of 25 cm, the maximum difference in the 80%–20% lateral penumbra between the GBD-commissioned treatment-planning system and measurements in any of the four rooms is 0.5 mm. Conclusions: The beam model parameters of the double-scattering system can be parameterized with a limited set of equations and parameters. This GBD closely matches the measured dosimetric properties in four different rooms.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

TU-CD-207-10: Dedicated Cone-Beam Breast CT: Design of a 3-D Beam-Shaping Filter

Purpose: To design a 3 -D beam-shaping filter for cone-beam breast CT for equalizing x-ray photon fluence incident on the detector along both fan and cone angle directions. Methods: The 3-D beam-shaping filter was designed as the sum of two filters: a bow-tie filter assuming cylindrical breast and a 3D difference filter equivalent to the difference in projected thickness between the cylinder and the real breast. Both filters were designed with breast-equivalent material and converted to Al for the targeted x-ray spectrum. The bow-tie was designed for the largest diameter cylindrical breast by determining the fan-angle dependent path-length and the filter thickness needed to equalize the fluence. A total of 23,760 projections (180 projections of 132 binary breast CT volumes) were averaged, scaled for the largest breast, and subtracted from the projection of the largest diameter cylindrical breast to provide the 3D difference filter. The 3 -D beam shaping filter was obtained by summing the two filters. Numerical simulations with semi-ellipsoidal breasts of 10–18 cm diameter (chest-wall to nipple length=0.75 x diameter) were conducted to evaluate beam equalization. Results: The proposed 3-D beam-shaping filter showed a 140% -300% improvement in equalizing the photon fluence along the chest-wall to nipple (cone-angle) direction compared to a bow-tie filter. The improvement over bow-tie filter was larger for breasts with longer chest-wall to nipple length. Along the radial (fan-angle) direction, the performance of the 3-D beam shaping filter was marginally better than the bow-tie filter, with 4%-10% improvement in equalizing the photon fluence. For a ray traversing the chest-wall diameter of the breast, the filter transmission ratio was >0.95. Conclusion: The 3-D beam shaping filter provided substantial advantage over bow-tie filter in equalizing the photon fluence along the cone-angle direction. In conjunction with a 2-axis positioner, the filter can accommodate breasts of varying dimensions and chest-wall inclusion. Supported in part by NIH R01 CA128906 and R21 CA134128. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not reflect the official views of the NIH or NCI.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

SU-F-T-511: Feasibility Study of Using Flattening-Filter-Free Photon Beams to Deliver Conventional Flat Beam

Purpose: Various dosimetric benefits such as increased dose rate, and reduced leakage and out of field dose has led to the growth of FFF technology in the clinic. In this study, we concentrate on investigating the feasibility of using flattening-filter-free (FFF) beams to deliver conventional flat beams (CFB), since completely getting rid of the flattening-filter module from the gantry head can not only simplify the gantry design but also decrease the workload on machine maintain and quality assurance. Methods: The sliding window based IMRT technique was utilized to generate the CFB from the FFF beam for various beam configurations on the Elekta Versa HD. The flat beam reproducibility and MU efficiency were compared for each beam configuration among FFF planning, delivery and CFB planning. Results: Compared to the CFB plan, the 3%3mm passing rates of the FFF beams from both measurement and plan are 100% and 95%(or better) for 15×15 cm{sup 2} or smaller field size and for any field size greater than 15×15 cm{sup 2}at 10 cm depth, respectively. The largest discrepancy is about 5% and typically appears at the field shoulder area. The MU increase average was 80% for FFF compared to CFB, however has a minimal impact on treatment delivery time. Conclusion: The ability to deliver conventional flat treatments is not absent when operating in FFF mode. With proper TPS manipulation and beam modulation, FFF mode can achieve reasonable flat profiles and comparable dose coverage as CFB does for various conventional treatment techniques, such as four field box, or long spine treatment techniques. The ability to deliver most clinical treatments from the same treatment unit, will allow for less quality assurance as well as maintenance, and completely eliminate the need for the flattening filter on modern linacs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 04: Stopping power-to-Cherenkov power ratios and beam quality specification for clinical Cherenkov emission dosimetry of electrons: beam-specific effects and experimental validation

Purpose: To advance towards clinical Cherenkov emission (CE)-based dosimetry by investigating beam-specific effects on Monte Carlo-calculated electron-beam stopping power-to-CE power ratios (SCRs), addressing electron beam quality specification in terms of CE, and validating simulations with measurements. Methods: The EGSnrc user code SPRRZnrc, used to calculate Spencer-Attix stopping-power ratios, was modified to instead calculate SCRs. SCRs were calculated for 6- to 22-MeV clinical electron beams from Varian TrueBeam, Clinac 21EX, and Clinac 2100C/D accelerators. Experiments were performed with a 20-MeV electron beam from a Varian TrueBeam accelerator, using a diffraction grating spectrometer with optical fiber input and a cooled back-illuminated CCD. A fluorophore was dissolved in the water to remove CE signal anisotropy. Results: It was found that angular spread of the incident beam has little effect on the SCR (≤ 0.3% at d{sub max}), while both the electron spectrum and photon contamination increase the SCR at shallow depths and decrease it at large depths. A universal data fit of R{sub 50} in terms of C{sub 50} (50% CE depth) revealed a strong linear dependence (R{sup 2} > 0.9999). The SCR was fit with a Burns-type equation (R{sup 2} = 0.9974, NRMSD = 0.5%). Below-threshold incident radiation was found to have minimal effect on beam quality specification (< 0.1%). Experiments and simulations were in good agreement. Conclusions: Our findings confirm the feasibility of the proposed CE dosimetry method, contingent on computation of SCRs from additional accelerators and on further experimental validation. This work constitutes an important step towards clinical high-resolution out-of-beam CE dosimetry.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Beamed-Energy Propulsion (BEP): Considerations for Beaming High Energy-Density Electromagnetic Waves Through the Atmosphere

A study to determine the feasibility of employing beamed electromagnetic energy for vehicle propulsion within and outside the Earth's atmosphere was co-funded by NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that began in June 2010 and culminated in a Summary Presentation in April 2011. A detailed report entitled "Beamed-Energy Propulsion (BEP) Study" appeared in February 2012 as NASA/TM-2012-217014. Of the very many nuances of this subject that were addressed in this report, the effects of transferring the required high energy-density electromagnetic fields through the atmosphere were discussed. However, due to the limitations of the length of the report, only a summary of the results of the detailed analyses were able to be included. It is the intent of the present work to make available the complete analytical modeling work that was done for the BEP project with regard to electromagnetic wave propagation issues. In particular, the present technical memorandum contains two documents that were prepared in 2011. The first one, entitled "Effects of Beaming Energy Through the Atmosphere" contains an overview of the analysis of the nonlinear problem inherent with the transfer of large amounts of energy through the atmosphere that gives rise to thermally-induced changes in the refractive index; application is then made to specific beamed propulsion scenarios. A brief portion of this report appeared as Appendix G of the 2012 Technical Memorandum. The second report, entitled "An Analytical Assessment of the Thermal Blooming Effects on the Propagation of Optical and Millimeter- Wave Focused Beam Waves For Power Beaming Applications" was written in October 2010 (not previously published), provides a more detailed treatment of the propagation problem and its effect on the overall characteristics of the beam such as its deflection as well as its radius. Comparisons are then made for power beaming using the disparate electromagnetic wavelengths of 1.06 microns and 2.0 millimeters..

Beamed Energy↗

Fermilab PXIE Beam Diagnostics Development and Testing at the HINS Beam Facility

Fermilab is planning the construction of a prototype front end of the Project X linac. The Project X Injector Experiment (PXIE) is expected to accelerate 1 mA CW H- beam up to 30 MeV. Some of the major goals of the project are to test a CW RFQ and H- source, a broadband bunch-by-bunch beam chopper and a low-energy superconducting linac. The successful characterization and operation of such an accelerator place stringent requirements on beamline diagnostics. These crucial beam measurements include bunch currents, beam orbit, beam phase, bunch length, transverse profile and emittance and beam halo and tails, as well as the extinction performance of the broadband chopper. This paper presents PXIE beam measurement requirements and instrumentation development plans. Presented are plans to test key instruments at the Fermilab High Intensity Neutrino Source (HINS) beam facility. Since HINS is already an operational accelerator, utilizing HINS for instrumentation testing will allow for quicker development of the required PXIE diagnostics.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

An ultra-low energy (30-200 eV) ion-atomic beam source for ion-beam-assisted deposition in ultrahigh vacuum

The paper describes the design and construction of an ion-atomic beam source with an optimized generation of ions for ion-beam-assisted deposition under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The source combines an effusion cell and an electron impact ion source and produces ion beams with ultra-low energies in the range from 30 eV to 200 eV. Decreasing ion beam energy to hyperthermal values ({approx_equal}10{sup 1} eV) without loosing optimum ionization conditions has been mainly achieved by the incorporation of an ionization chamber with a grid transparent enough for electron and ion beams. In this way the energy and current density of nitrogen ion beams in the order of 10{sup 1} eV and 10{sup 1} nA/cm{sup 2}, respectively, have been achieved. The source is capable of growing ultrathin layers or nanostructures at ultra-low energies with a growth rate of several MLs/h. The ion-atomic beam source will be preferentially applied for the synthesis of GaN under UHV conditions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗