Vaporizer, ion source and method for generating aluminum-containing vapor

1. A vaporizer comprising:

a crucible in which an aluminum-containing solid material is placed, the crucible comprising a chlorine containing gas inlet and a vapor outlet; and

a heater configured to heat the crucible.

2. The vaporizer as recited in claim 1 , wherein the aluminum-containing solid material is pure aluminum.

3. The vaporizer as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vapor outlet outputs a vapor in a plurality of directions.

4. The vaporizer as recited in claim 1 , wherein an edge of the chlorine containing gas inlet is aligned with a surface of the aluminum-containing solid material.

5. An ion source comprising:

the vaporizer according to claim 1 ;

an arc chamber configured to generate a plasma therein,

wherein the vapor outlet of the vaporizer is configured to output vapor into the arc chamber through a wall of the arc chamber.

6. The ion source as recited in claim 5 , wherein the aluminum-containing solid material is pure aluminum.

7. The ion source as recited in claim 5 , wherein the vapor outlet comprises an end portion that extends through the wall of the arc chamber, the end portion comprising a plurality of holes at a distal end thereof.

8. The ion source as recited in claim 5 , wherein an edge of the chlorine containing gas inlet is aligned with a surface of the aluminum-containing solid material.

9. The ion source as recited in claim 5 , wherein the crucible is biased to the arc chamber by an elastic force.

10. The ion source as recited in claim 5 , wherein the arc chamber receives aluminum containing vapor output from the vapor outlet of the crucible and receives a gas that does not contain aluminum from a flow path that does not pass through the crucible.

11. A method for generating aluminum containing vapor, the method comprising:

heating an aluminum containing solid material in a crucible; and

introducing a chlorine containing gas into the crucible.

12. The vaporizer as recited in claim 1 , wherein the crucible is cylindrical and extends in a longitudinal direction,

the chlorine containing gas inlet is provided at a first end of the crucible in the longitudinal direction, and

the vapor outlet is provided at a second end of the crucible opposite from the first end in the longitudinal direction.

13. A vaporizer comprising:

a first gas source comprising a chlorine containing gas;

a crucible containing an aluminum-containing solid material, the crucible comprising a gas inlet communicatively connected to the first gas source, and a vapor outlet; and

a heater configured to heat the crucible.

14. The vaporizer as recited in claim 13 , wherein the aluminum-containing solid material is pure aluminum.

15. An ion source comprising:

a first gas source comprising a first gas that contains chlorine;

a vaporizer comprising:

a crucible containing an aluminum-containing solid material, the crucible comprising a gas inlet communicatively connected to the first gas source, and a vapor outlet; and

a heater configured to heat the crucible;

an arc chamber configured to generate a plasma therein,

wherein the vapor outlet of the vaporizer is configured to output vapor into the arc chamber through a wall of the arc chamber.

16. The ion source as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:

a second gas source comprising a second gas that does not contain aluminum,

wherein the arc chamber comprises a gas inlet communicatively connected to the second gas source, and

wherein a flow path from the second gas source to the gas inlet of the arc chamber does not pass through the crucible.

17. An ion source comprising:

a vaporizer comprising:

a crucible containing an aluminum-containing solid material, the crucible comprising a gas inlet at a first end of the crucible, and a vapor outlet at a second end of the crucible opposite from the first end; and

a heater configured to heat the crucible; and

an arc chamber in fluid communication with the vapor output, the arc chamber configured to generate a plasma using a vapor that is output from the vapor outlet,

wherein the crucible receives a chlorine containing gas through the gas inlet and the chlorine containing gas reacts with the aluminum-containing solid material under heat from the heater to produce the vapor, which is output to the arc chamber through the vapor outlet.

18. The ion source of claim 17 , further comprising a first gas source in fluid communication with the gas inlet, the first gas source containing the chlorine containing gas.

19. The ion source as recited in claim 17 , wherein the arc chamber comprises a gas inlet, and

wherein a flow path to the gas inlet of the arc chamber of a second gas that does not contain aluminum does not pass through the crucible.

20. The ion source as recited in claim 19 , further comprising:

a second gas source comprising the second gas that does not contain aluminum, the second gas source being in fluid communication with the gas inlet of the arc chamber,

wherein the flow path from the second gas source to the gas inlet does not pass through the crucible.