The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1998
Adam A Brailove, Gloucester, MA (US);
Masateru Sato, SaijO, JP;
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
An attenuator (90) for an ion source (26) is provided. The ion source comprises a plasma chamber (76) in which a gas is ionized by an exciter (78) to create a plasma which is extractable through at least one aperture (64) in an apertured portion (50) of the chamber to form an ion beam. The attenuator (90) comprises a member (90) positioned within the chamber (76) intermediate the exciter (78) and the at least one aperture (64), the member providing at least one first opening (97) corresponding the at least one aperture (64), and being moveable between first and second positions with respect to the at least one aperture. In one embodiment, in the first position, the member is positioned adjacent the aperture (64) to obstruct at least a portion of the aperture, and in the second position the member is positioned away from the aperture (64) so as not to obstruct the aperture. In a second embodiment, the aperture (64) resides in an aperture plate (50) and (i) the member and the aperture plate form a generally closed region (102) between the aperture plate and the chamber (76) when the member is in the first position, and (ii) the aperture (64) is in direct communication with the chamber (76) when the member is in the second position. In this second embodiment, plasma within the chamber (76) diffuses through the region (102) before being extracted through the aperture in the first position, and plasma within the chamber is extracted directly through the aperture in the second position.