New plasma source for plasma immersion ion implantation

Summary form only given, as follows. Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is a useful niche technology for the modification of surface properties of materials and industrial components that are large or have an irregular shape. The samples are immersed in an overlying plasma from which ions are extracted and implanted into the samples. A plasma source is typically needed to supply the ions a novel method to create ions from solid materials possessing low melting point and high vapor pressure using an evaporation-glow discharge hybrid technique. The elements investigated are sulfur, phosphorus, and sodium that are very important in biomaterials. Using this method, sulfur is vaporized first, and then the vapor is introduced into a small glass-shielded chamber to lessen contamination of the big vacuum chamber. Sulfur is then ionized and passed into the PIII chamber to carry out plasma implantation and deposition.