Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A plasma electron flood system, comprising:a housing with a discharge chamber configured to contain a gas, and comprising an elongated extraction slit, a cathode filament extending along a majority of the elongated extraction slit, a cathode assembly and a plurality of anodes residing therein; andwherein the elongated extraction slit is in direct communication with an ion implantation system;wherein the cathode filament emits electrons that are drawn to the plurality of anodes through a potential difference therebetween;wherein a portion of the electrons are extracted through the elongated extraction slit as an electron band for use in neutralizing an ion beam traveling within the ion implantation system, andwherein the discharge chamber is cylindrical and has an internal diameter of about 30 to 200 millimeters. 2. The plasma electron flood system of claim 1, wherein the cathode filament diameter is about 0.5 to 2 millimeters;wherein the cathode filament has a length of 240 to 500 millimeters;wherein each of the anode diameters is about 1 to 10 millimeters; andwherein each of the anodes has a length of 240 to 500 millimeters. 3. The plasma electron flood system of claim 1,wherein the discharge chamber has a length of 240 to 500 millimeters; andwherein the extraction slit is about 1 to 50 millimeters wide and about 200 to 450 millimeters long. 4. The plasma electron flood system of claim 1, wherein the cathode filament is fabricated of a material comprising: graphite, tungsten, molybdenum or tantalum; andwherein the plurality of anodes are fabricated of a material comprising: graphite, aluminum, tungsten or molybdenum. 5. The plasma electron flood system of claim 1,wherein the gas within the discharge chamber comprises a xenon gas having a partial pressure of is about 5×10−5 to 1×10−4 Torr, an argon gas, or a mixture of xenon and argon gases. 6. A method of introducing electrons into a ribbon ion beam, comprising:energizing a cathode filament within a discharge chamber comprising an elongated extraction slit, a cathode assembly, a cathode filament extending along a majority of the elongated extraction slit, and an anode;biasing the cathode, a discharge chamber housing and the anode; andemitting electrons through the elongated extraction slit into the ribbon ion beam,wherein a cathode current is about 40 amps;wherein the cathode and discharge chamber housing is between −20 and 20 volts with respect to the surroundings; andwherein the anode voltage is between 30 and 100 volts. 7. The method of claim 6,wherein a pressure within the discharge chamber is about 5×10−5 to 1×10−4 Torr; andwherein the gas comprises xenon, and argon. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method operates in a Townsend discharge mode. 9. A method of implanting a workpiece using a ribbon ion beam in an ion implantation system, comprising:creating a ribbon ion beam;mass analyzing the ribbon ion beam;providing an elongated band of electrons, from a housing with a discharge chamber configured to contain a gas, and comprising an elongated extraction slit, a cathode assembly, a cathode filament extending along a majority of the elongated extraction slit, and a plurality of anodes residing therein, to the ribbon ion beam; andproviding the mass analyzed ribbon ion beam to at least one workpiece so as to implant the at least one workpiece with ions from the ribbon ion beam,wherein the wherein a cathode current is about 40 amps,wherein the cathode and discharge chamber housing are set to zero volts, andwherein the anode voltage is set to 100 volts. 10. The method of claim 9,wherein the elongated extraction slit is in direct communication with the ion implantation system;wherein the cathode filament emits electrons that are drawn to the plurality of anodes through a potential difference therebetween;wherein the elongated band of electrons are discharged through the elongated extraction slit for use in neutralizing the ribbon ion beam traveling within the ion implantation system. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cathode voltage and the discharge chamber housing voltage are biased to a lower voltage than the anode voltage;wherein a pressure within the discharge chamber is about 5×10−5 to 1×10−4 Torr; andwherein the gas comprises xenon;wherein the system operates in a Townsend discharge mode. 12. A plasma electron flood system, comprising:a housing with a discharge chamber configured to contain a gas, and comprising an elongated extraction slit, a cathode filament extending along a majority of the elongated extraction slit, a cathode assembly and a plurality of anodes residing therein; andwherein the elongated extraction slit is in direct communication with an ion implantation system;wherein the cathode filament emits electrons that are drawn to the plurality of anodes through a potential difference therebetween;wherein a portion of the electrons are extracted through the elongated extraction slit as an electron band for use in neutralizing an ion beam traveling within the ion implantation system, andwherein the housing does not comprise magnets configured to spatially confine the electrons.