公开(公告)号：US10269526B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-23

申请号：US15901763

申请日：2018-02-21

Applicant: Colorado State University Research Foundation

Inventor： Rafael A. Martinez ,  John D. Williams ,  Joel A. Moritz, Jr. ,  Casey C. Farnell

IPC: H01J27/14 ,  F03H1/00

Abstract: A miniature Hall current plasma source apparatus having magnetic shielding of the walls from ionized plasma, an integrated discharge channel and gas distributor, an instant-start hollow cathode mounted to the plasma source, and an externally mounted keeper, is described. The apparatus offers advantages over existing other Hall current plasma sources having similar power levels, including: lower mass, longer lifetime, lower part count including fewer power supplies, and the ability to be continuously adjustable to lower average power levels using pulsed operation and adjustment of the pulse duty cycle. The Hall current plasma source can provide propulsion for small spacecraft that either do not have sufficient power to accommodate a propulsion system or do not have available volume to incorporate the larger propulsion systems currently available. The present low-power Hall current plasma source can be used to provide energetic ions to assist the deposition of thin films in plasma processing applications.

公开(公告)号：US09934929B1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-03

申请号：US15424385

申请日：2017-02-03

Applicant: Colorado State University Research Foundation

Inventor： Rafael A. Martinez ,  John D. Williams ,  Joel A. Moritz, Jr. ,  Casey C. Farnell

IPC: H01J27/14 ,  F03H1/00

CPC classification number: H01J27/146 ,  F03H1/0075 ,  H01J27/143

Abstract: A miniature Hall current plasma source apparatus having magnetic shielding of the walls from ionized plasma, an integrated discharge channel and gas distributor, an instant-start hollow cathode mounted to the plasma source, and an externally mounted keeper, is described. The apparatus offers advantages over other Hall current plasma sources having similar power levels, including: lower mass, longer lifetime, lower part count including fewer power supplies, and the ability to be continuously adjustable to lower average power levels using pulsed operation and adjustment of the pulse duty cycle. The Hall current plasma source can provide propulsion for small spacecraft that either do not have sufficient power to accommodate a propulsion system or do not have available volume to incorporate the larger propulsion systems currently available. The present low-power Hall current plasma source can be used to provide energetic ions to assist the deposition of thin films in plasma processing applications.