We have characterized ion beams extracted from the Dresden EBIS-A, a compact room-temperature electron beam ion source (EBIS) with a permanent magnet system for electron beam compression, using a pepper-pot emittance meter. The EBIS-A is the precursor to the Dresden EBIS-SC in which the permanent magnets have been replaced by superconducting solenoids for the use of the source in high-ion-current applications such as heavy-ion cancer therapy. Beam emittance and brightness values were calculated from data sets acquired for a variety of source parameters, in leaky as well as pulsed ion extraction mode. With box shaped pulses of C(4+) ions at an energy of 39 keV root mean square emittances of 1-4 mm mrad and a brightness of 10 nA mm(-2) mrad(-2) were achieved. The results meet the expectations for high quality ion beams generated by an electron beam ion source.

The aim of this article is to report on preliminary investigations in evaluating a new kind of focused ion beam (FIB) instrument realized by coupling an advanced FIB “nanowriter” with a compact electron beam ion trap. The authors demonstrate the possibility to produce noble gas ion beams (He, Ar, Xe, and Kr) in a FIB machine using an electron beam ion trap. Preliminary results obtained using highly charged ions as projectiles are presented.

Highly charged ions (HCIs) are a promising tool for the production of structures at a nanometer length scale as well as for surface analysis. We present a room-temperature EBIT (Electron Beam Ion Trap) that produces ions such as Ar18+, Xe44+ and Ir67+. In order to study the physics of the interaction processes, a new ion beam facility has been designed. The HCIs can be separated according to their mass to charge ratio with acceleration, but also with deceleration providing projectiles with kinetic energies ranging from 10eV times q to 40keV times q. A beam spot size of some micrometers can be achieved using suitable apertures. The beam can also be swept over an area of about 1cm2.

An ion beam line is presented, which is designed to study the interaction of highly charged ions with matter, especially solid surfaces. The highly charged ions are produced in a room temperature electron beam ion trap, the Dresden EBIT [1,2]. This device delivers bare nuclei up to elements with an atomic number of about 28, and neon-like ions up to about Z=80. After leaving the trap the ion beam containing several neighbouring ion charge states passes through standard ion optics elements before entering an analysing magnet for separating a certain ion charge state. In a following deceleration unit, which will be integrated soon, the ions can be slowed down to a definite kinetic energy of a few eV. The characteristic of the HCI beam is presented, combined with ion extraction spectra of selected elements detected by a Faraday cup after passing through an analysing magnet.