Improving broad-beam ion etching equipment through innovative ion optics design

Ion beam etching (IBE) is a crucial technique used for the manufacturing of nanostructures, including blazed gratings and slanted gratings. In the overall design of a complete IBE system, the ion optics play an important role. To achieve a high-performance broad-beam ion source, the design of the ion optics presents greater challenges. In this study, a full-particle three-dimensional model was utilized to calculate the extraction of the ion beam from the discharge plasma, with the presentation of the influence of ion optics parameters on beam current. To enhance the beam current of broad-beam equipment, a novel approach to the design of the ion optics with chamfered apertures was proposed, followed by an investigation into the influence of chamfering parameters on the ion optics. The research provides a significant theoretical basis and a wide range of possibilities for the design and performance improvement of IBE ion optics.