Effect of fast positive ions incident on caesiated plasma grid of negative ion source

Rev Sci Instrum. 2012 Feb;83(2):02B101. doi: 10.1063/1.3656076.

Abstract

This paper describes the effect on negative ion formation on a caesiated surface of the backscattering of positive ions approaching it with energy of a few tens of eV. For a positive ion energy of 45 eV, the surface produced negative ion current density due to these fast positive ions is 12 times larger than that due to thermal atoms, thus dominating the negative ion surface production instead of the thermal atoms, as considered until now.