Compact microwave ion source

A small microwave ion source has been fabricated from a quartz tube with one end enclosed by a two grid accelerator. The source is also enclosed by a cavity operated at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. Microwave power as high as 500 W can be coupled to the source plasma. The source has been operated with and without multicusp fields for different gases. In the case of hydrogen, ion current density of 200 mA/sq.cm with atomic ion species concentration as high as 80% has been extracted from the source.