Extraction of metal ions from laser-produced plasma

Experimental results concerning the extraction of Cu ions from laser-produced plasma are reported in this work. An XeCl excimer laser was used, providing a power density on the target surface of about 3.5 × 108 W/cm2. Laser wavelength and pulse duration were 308 nm and 20 ns, respectively. The experimental apparatus consisted substantially of a plasma generation chamber and a drift tube. An expansion chamber was mounted on the target stem inside the generation chamber. Its end together with a bored electrode connected to ground formed the acceleration gap, which was 1.3 cm large. A Faraday cup was used to reveal ions. The highest accelerating voltage applied to the extraction gap was 18 kV, resulting in extraction of an ion bunch of about 4.2 nC, with a peak current of 220 μA.