Measurement of beam energy spectrum and impurity content in high-power neutral beam injectors

Abstract

The energy spectrum and impurity content of a high-power neutral beam are measured by implanting the beam into high-purity silicon crystals. The depth distribution of the beam particles is then measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS); the penetration depth is a function of the incident particle energy. This is one of the few measurement techniques that can determine neutral beam energy components directly. From the results, percentages of atomic and molecular ions in the source plasma can be inferred. Use of deuterium as the source gas provides insight into the role of residual hydrogen in the ion source and accelerating grids and in the SIMS analysis. The principal impurities are carbon and oxygen. Preliminary data indicate that carbon can originate from both methane and carbon monoxide, while oxygen can come from molecular oxygen, carbon monoxide, and water. Results are given and future plans are discussed.