Copper ion beam emission in solid electrolyte Rb₄Cu₁₆I_6.5Cl_13.5

Copper ion conducting solid electrolyte Rb4Cu16I6.5Cl13.5 was prepared by means of mechano-chemical method. The structure and morphology of the powder was investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The grain size was estimated to be 0.2–0.9 μm and the ionic conductivity at room temperature was approximately 0.206 S/cm. The solid electrolyte Rb4Cu16I6.5Cl13.5 was exploited for copper ion beam generation. The copper ion emission current of several nA was successfully obtained at acceleration voltages of 15 kV and temperature of 197 °C in vacuum of 2.1 × 10−4 Pa. A good linear correlation between the logarithmic ion current (log I) and the square root of the acceleration voltage (U acc) at high voltage range was obtained, suggesting the Schottky emission mechanism in the process of copper ion beam generation.