HIgh Brightness and IntenSity negative and positive reactive ion sourCe for the analysis of nano-strUuctured Surfaces (HIBISCUS) – HIBISCUS

The main goal of the HIBISCUS project is to develop a new ion source approach which will allows to produce intense beams of virtually any kind of nanomaterial or molecules/ions at close to ambient temperature, while solving the drawbacks of the LMIS and MiLICIS sources. The approach is based on the use of compounds, that dissolve and pre-dissociate the materials provide ions for the extracted and focused ion beam. This source will also be reversible (possibility to obtain positive or negative ions under similar operating conditions). Moreover the project focuses on applications for surface characterization. Hibiscus inherits the qualities of the sources from which it is derived: very high brightness, resulting in small beam diameters while keeping high primary ion current at low energy.
The last advantage concerns the nanoparticle beams. The LMIS-emitted charged nanoparticles (NP) are distributed in both mass (m) and charge states (q), with many species having similar or identical m/q. Therefore, it is difficult to select a NP with a well-defined mass and charge. Our approach permits to solve this problem and simultaneously to reduce the beam spot size.
The new ions source that we will develop will also open very interesting possibilities for nanomachining and ion implantation.