Hall current plasma source having a center-mounted cathode or a surface-mounted cathode
US10269526B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 2018 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 21, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J27/143
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.