SBIR-STTR Award

Electron clouds in accelerators limit machine performance through associated dynamical instabilities and/or vacuum pressure increases. High wall resistivity can cause heating and instabilities in accelerators. Coating accelerator vacuum tubes with compacted thick crystalline copper will mitigate those problems and can enhance luminosity. Develop compact ion assisted deposition (IAD) devices by incorporating miniature ion sources into robotic cylindrical magnetron sputtering devices configured for small radial dimension tubes for in-situ coating of long, small diameter tubes with defect free thick films copper. Devise Ion assisted plasma deposition techniques for in-situ coating of long, small diameter tubes. Perform ion assisted copper deposition on stainless steel sample to assess ion assisted deposition technique viability; preliminary design of phase II full-scale devices. Commercial Applications and Other

Benefits:
Coating of existing accelerator vacuum tubes with compacted thick crystalline copper is a very cost effective way to mitigate significant problems in accelerators trying to increase luminosity. IAD results in superior quality film deposition, which due to inefficiencies, is presently restricted to high value items. Advancing to industry forefront more cost effective IAD, will improve tools, ball bearings & other lower value industrial products, thus reducing waste as well as improving industrial accelerators and electron guns, impacting companies who utilize accelerators.

High wall resistivity can cause heating and instabilities in accelerators. Electron clouds in accelerators limit machine performance through associated dynamical instabilities and/or vacuum pressure increases. Coating accelerator vacuum tubes with compacted thick crystalline copper will mitigate those problems and can enhance luminosity. General statement of how this problem is being addressed. This is the overall objective of the combined Phase I and Phase II projects - typically, one to two sentences. Develop compact ion assisted deposition (IAD) devices by incorporating ion bombardment in a robotic cylindrical magnetron sputtering device configured for small radial dimension tubes for in-situ coating of long, small diameter tubes with defect free thick films copper. What was done in Phase I – typically, two to three sentences? Selected an ion assisted plasma deposition technique for in-situ coating of long, small diameter tubes. Set up a cryogenic resonator for measuring conductivity of deposited copper at cryogenic temperature to optimize the deposition technique; preliminary design of phase II full-scale device. COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS AND OTHER BENEFITS as described by the applicant. (Limit to space provided). Coating of existing accelerator vacuum tubes with compacted thick crystalline copper is a very cost effective way to mitigate significant problems in accelerators trying to increase luminosity. IAD results in superior quality film deposition, which due to inefficiencies, is presently restricted to high value items. Advancing to industry forefront more cost effective IAD, will improve tools, ball bearings & other lower value industrial products, thus reducing waste as well as improving industrial accelerators and electron guns, impacting companies who utilize accelerators.