Ion beam irradiating apparatus including ion neutralizer

Claim 2

An ion beam irradiating apparatus comprising: generating means for generating ion beams; accelerating means for accelerating the ion beams emitted from the generating means; selecting means for selecting a specified ion beam derived from the accelerated ion beams; means for holding a sample receiving the specified ion beam derived from the selecting means; and, ion neutralizer means positioned between the selecting means and the sample holding means, said ion neutralizer means including: filament means for emitting a thermoelectron beam to neutralize the specified ion beam, said filament means being subdivided into a plurality of W-shaped filament elements having substantially the same length and same diameter and being connected to each other in series and surrounding the specified ion beam.

Claim 3

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of filament supporters formed on insulating plates, for supporting end portions of the W-shaped filament elements.

Claim 4

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising alternating current power source means for energizing the filament means.

Claim 5

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising direct current power source means for energizing the filament means.

Claim 6

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said specified ion beam has a substantially circular shape, in a cross section thereof, and said plurality of filament elements surround and are substantially equispaced from said circular-shaped ion beam.

Claim 7

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said specified ion beam has a substantially elliptical shape, in a cross section thereof, and said plurality of filament elements surround and are substantially equispaced from said elliptical-shaped ion beam.

Claim 8

An ion beam irradiating apparatus comprising: generating means for generating ion beams; accelerating means for accelerating the ion beams generated from the generating means; selecting means for selecting a specified ion beam from the accelerated ion beams; means for holding a sample receiving the specified ion beam derived from the selecting means; ion deflecting means positioned between the selecting means and the sample holding means for deflecting the specified ion beam in a deflection direction perpendicular to an orbit of the specified ion beam; and ion neutralizer means positioned between said ion deflecting means and said sample holding means and including a thermoelectron beam emitting source sandwiching said orbit of the specified ion beam and being elongated along the deflection direction normal to the specified ion beam orbit; and thermoelectron supply controlling means positioned between said thermoelectron beam emitting source and said ion beam orbit and being elongated along the deflection direction for controlling the supply of the thermoelectron beam emitted from the thermoelectron beam emitting source to the specified ion beam so as to neutralize the specified ion beam travelling along the ion beam orbit.

Claim 9

An ion beam irradiating apparatus comprising: generating means for generating ion beams; accelerating means for accelerating the ion beams generated from the generating means; selecting means for selecting a specified ion beam from the accelerated ion beams; means for holding a sample receiving the specified ion beam derived from the selecting means; ion deflecting means positioned between the selecting means and the sample holding means for deflecting the specified ion beam in a deflection direction perpendicular to an orbit of the specified ion beam; and ion neutralizer means positioned between said ion deflecting means and said sample holding means and including a thermoelectron beam emitting source sandwiching said orbit of the specified ion beam and being elongated along the deflection direction normal to the specified ion beam orbit; and thermoelectron supply controlling means positioned between said thermoelectron beam emitting source and said ion beam orbit and being elongated along the deflection direction for controlling the supply of the thermoelectron beam emitted from the thermoelectron beam emitting source to the specified ion beam so as to neutralize the specified ion beam travelling along the ion beam orbit.

Claim 10

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said thermoelectron supply controlling means entirely surrounds said specified ion beam traveling along the ion beam orbit.

Claim 11

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: thermoelectron energy controlling means positioned between said ion beam orbit and said thermoelectron supply controlling means, and entirely surrounding said specified ion beam travelling along said ion beam orbit, for controlling the energy of the thermoelectron beam supplied from the thermoelectron beam emitting source to the specified ion beam travelling along the ion beam orbit.

Claim 12

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: thermoelectron energy controlling means positioned between said thermoelectron supply controlling means and said ion beam orbit for controlling the energy of the thermoelectron beam supplied from the thermoelectron beam emitting source to the specified ion beam travelling along the ion beam orbit.

Claim 13

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said thermoelectron beam emitting source is made of a boride of a rare-earth element.

Claim 14

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said thermoelectron beam emitting source is made of an oxide of a rare-earth element.

Claim 15

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said thermoelectron beam emitting source is a wire filament.

Claim 16

An ion beam irradiating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said thermoelectron beam emitting source is a rectangular tantalum plate.

Claim 17

The ion beam irradiating apparatus of claim 7, wherein said thermoelectron beam emitting source and thermoelectron supply controlling means are positioned to extend in planes opposed to the plane formed by the locus of displacement by deflection of the ion beam of the specified ion beam.

Claim 18

The ion beam irradiating apparatus of claim 7, further comprising electron shield electrode means arranged around an outer peripheral side of the ion neutralizer means to prevent outward heat irradiation from the filament means away from the specified ion beam.

Claim 19

The ion beam irradiating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising shielding means disposed between the sample holding means and the thermoelectron beam emitting source to prevent radiation heat from the thermoelectron beam emitting source from radiating towards the sample holding means.