System and method for unipolar magnetic scanning of heavy ion beams

摘要

A magnetic deflection system for scanning an ion beam over a selected surface comprising: a magnetic structure having poles with respective scanning coils and respective pole faces that define therebetween a gap through which the ion beam passes; a primary current source coupled to the scanning coils adapted to apply to the scanning coils an excitation current to generate a substantially unipolar oscillatory magnetic field in the gap that alternates in polarity as a function of time to cause scanning of the ion beam, the substantially unipolar magnetic field having a magnitude sufficiently greater than zero to prevent the transverse cross-section of the ion beam from substantially fluctuating in size while the ion beam is being scanned across the selected surface.