Patent ID: 8748773

Claim:
An apparatus for melting an electrically conductive metallic material, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber; a hearth disposed in the vacuum chamber; at least one ion plasma electron emitter disposed in or adjacent the vacuum chamber, the at least one ion plasma electron emitter being configured to produce a first field of electrons having a first area of coverage and sufficient energy to heat the electrically conductive metallic material to its melting temperature, wherein the electrically conductive metallic material is at least one material selected from titanium, a titanium alloy, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, platinum, palladium, zirconium, iridium, nickel, a nickel base alloy, iron, an iron base alloy, cobalt, and a cobalt base alloy, and wherein the at least one ion plasma electron emitter is positioned to direct the first field of electrons into the vacuum chamber; at least one of a mold and an atomizing apparatus positioned to receive the electrically conductive metallic material from the hearth; and an auxiliary ion plasma electron emitter disposed in or adjacent the vacuum chamber, the auxiliary ion plasma electron emitter being configured to produce a second field of electrons having a second area of coverage and sufficient energy to at least one of heat at least a portion of the electrically conductive metallic material to at least its melting temperature, melt solid condensate within the electrically conductive metallic material, and provide heat to regions of a forming ingot, the auxiliary ion plasma electron emitter being configured to focus the second field of electrons such that the second area of coverage is smaller than the first area of coverage; and a steering device configured for steering the second field of electrons emitted by the auxiliary ion plasma electron emitter to direct the focused second field of electrons toward at least one of the at least a portion of the electrically conductive metallic material, the solid condensate, and the forming ingot, and wherein the steering device is configured to selectively steer the second field of electrons produced by the auxiliary ion plasma electron emitter within at least a region of the first area of coverage.