US4467240A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Ion beam source
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1982-01-28
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Granted: 1984-08-21
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Expires: 2002-01-28
Abstract
Abstract An ion beam source characterized in that a needle-like tip is comprised of a carbide, a nitride, or a diboride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta, a hexaboride of at least one element of rare earth metal elements of atomic numbers 57-70, or carbon. Stable ion beam emission of high brightness and long life can be obtained by using the needle-like tip of the said material.
Inventors
- 👤 Masaaki Futamoto
- 👤 Isamu Yuito
- 👤 Ushio Kawabe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 05:23
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J27/00; H01J27/02; H01J27/022; H01J27/26; H01J37/00; H01J37/02; H01J37/04; H01J37/08; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/06; H01J2237/08; H01J2237/0802; H01J2237/0805; H01J2237/0807
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
An ion beam source comprising an ionization chamber, a needle-like tip disposed in the ionization chamber, a support for the needle-like tip, a supply source for a substance to be ionized, and a cathode, the needle-like tip being comprised of a carbide, a nitride, or a diboride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta, a hexaboride of at least one element of rare earth metal elements of atomic numbers 57-70, or carbon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
An ion beam source comprising an ionization chamber, a needle-like tip disposed in the ionization chamber, a support for the needle-like tip, a supply source for a substance to be ionized, and a cathode, the needle-like tip being comprised of a carbide, a nitride, or a diboride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta, a hexaboride of at least one element of rare earth metal elements of atomic numbers 57-70, or carbon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
104 words
The ion beam source according to claim 1, wherein the substance to be ionized is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ga, In, Bi, Au, Pb, Fe, Co and Ni, or an alloy containing at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pt and Au as a major component and at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Si, P, As and Sb, and the supply source for the substance to be ionized is provided at a position near a joint part between the needle-like tip and the support for the tip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
The ion beam source according to claim 1, wherein the substance to be ionized is at least one gas species selected from the group consisting of H 2 , He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, N 2 , O 2 , H 2 O, and CH 4 , and the supply source for the substance to be ionized is an inlet for introducing the gas species into the ionization chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ion beam source according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the needle-like tip is a single crystal whisker of the carbide having the <111> or <110> orientation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ion beam source according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the needle-like tip is a single cyrstal whisker of the nitride having the <111> or <110> orientation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The ion beam source according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the needle-like tip is a single crystal whisker of the diboride having the <100> orientation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The ion beam source according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the needle-like tip is a single crystal of the hexaboride having the <100> orientation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The ion beam source according to claim 7, wherein the hexaboride is a hexaboride of at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The ion beam source according to claim 8, wherein said hexaboride is LaB 6 or CeB 6 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The ion beam source according to claim 9, wherein said hexaboride is CeB 6 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The ion beam source according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the needle-like tip is comprised of carbon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ion beam source according to claim 11, wherein the carbon is glassy carbon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
80 words
The ion beam source according to claim 11, wherein the substance to be ionized is an alloy containing at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pt and Au as a major component and at least one element selected from the group consisting of B and P, and the supply source for the substance to be ionized is provided at a position near a joint part between the needle-like tip and the support for the tip.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The ion beam source according to claim 1, wherein said needle-like tip is comprised of a carbide or a nitride of said at least one element, with the ratio of C or N to said at least one element being in a range of 0.5-2.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ion beam source according to claim 14, wherein said ratio is substantially 1.0.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
The ion beam source according to claim 1, further comprising means for applying a high potential between said needle-like tip and said cathode such that the needle-like tip takes a positive charge of a sufficient strength to ionize the substance to be ionized.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-08-21 | 1988-02-20 | 1988-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-08-21 | 1992-02-20 | 1992-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-08-21 | 1996-02-20 | 1996-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |