Patent ID: 9478388
Filing Date: 2016-10-25
CPC Classification: H01J

Claim Text:
1. A dual-mode ion gun comprising: a computer configured to select a cluster mode or an atomic mode; a gas expansion nozzle in communication with a pressurized region configured to produce a beam that substantially comprises gas clusters and gas atoms in the cluster mode, and that substantially comprises gas atoms or gas clusters and gas atoms in the atomic mode; an ionisation chamber configured to ionise the beam; and a variable mass selector comprising a magnetic sector configured to cause the ionised beam to follow a bent path so as to pass through a selection aperture and remove neutral gas species from the ionised beam, wherein the cluster mode programs the magnetic sector to cause ionised the gas clusters but not the ionised gas atoms to follow the bent path and pass through the selection aperture so that the beam substantially comprises only the ionised gas clusters, and the atomic mode programs the magnetic sector to cause the ionised gas atoms but not the ionised gas clusters to follow the bent path and pass through the selection aperture so that the beam substantially comprises only the ionised gas atoms.