The first gridless end-hall design ion sources provided the thin film industry with a major breakthrough with their use enabling high quality, dense and durable optical thin films to be routinely produced with the assistance of a high current ion beam, the process which is now well known as ‘Ion beam Assist’ or ‘Ion Beam Assisted Deposition’, (IBAD).

As the resultant thin film processes became further refined, it became clear that an ion source with high current and low voltage characteristics would be of even greater benefit to users, if the operational range could be extended and the unit made even more production robust and reliable.

These requirements have now been addressed with the introduction of the ‘Next Generation’ KRI™ gridless end-hall ion source product range. These new sources are designed as ‘drop-in’ replacements and offer significantly higher output, a wider operational range and lower cost of ownership.

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