Ion sources

Ion sources

Devices which produce positive or negative electrically charged atoms or molecules.

In general, ion sources fall into three major categories: those designed for positive-ion generation, those for negative-ion generation, and a highly specialized type of source designed to produce a polarized ion beam. The positive-ion source category may further be subdivided into sources specifically designed to generate singly charged ions and those designed to produce very highly charged ions.

Ion sources have acquired a wide variety of applications. They are used in a variety of different types of accelerators for nuclear research; have application in the field of fusion research; and are used for ion implantation, in isotope separators, in ion microprobes, as a means of rocket propulsion, in mass spectrometers, and for ion milling. See Nuclear fusion, Particle accelerator