Ion production system with fibrous network for ion harvesting

Description

1 / 21 ION PRODUCTION SYSTEM WITH FIBROUS NETWORK FOR ION HARVESTING Separated from BR112024006269-4, filed on September 30, 2022. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS

[001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 63 / 251,397 filed October 1, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNOLOGY

[002] This disclosure relates generally to the field of heavy metal ion production, for example, the production of heavy metal ions used in healthcare applications. More specifically, this disclosure relates to improving the efficiency of collecting and extracting accelerated ions from an ion source at a high extraction energy. BACKGROUND

[003] Previous technologies involving ion beams are typically designed to provide high-energy collisions between the ion beam and a substrate material in order to create changes in the substrate material. The ions themselves in such systems are not efficiently retained in the substrate material and they may be pulverized, sublimated, or scattered away. Such systems and methods do not provide high-efficiency collection of the ions themselves. In contrast, an objective of the present application is the collection of ions from the ion beam as a constituted material that can be collected, stored, transported, used, etc., for example, in healthcare applications. SUMMARY

[004] One implementation of the present disclosure is a method. The method includes providing a carbon fiber lattice, accelerating ions toward the carbon fiber lattice, and trapping the ions in the carbon fiber lattice. The method may also include burning the carbon fiber lattice to obtain a residue comprising the ions.

[005] The ions may be ytterbium ions. In some embodiments, the ions include ytterbium-176 ions and the method also includes isolating ytterbium-176 ions. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 8 / 82 2 / 21 from other isotopes before capturing the ions in the carbon fiber lattice.

[006] In some embodiments, the acceleration of ions towards the carbon fiber lattice includes supplying the ions with energies greater than 100V. The trapping of ions in the carbon fiber lattice may include slowing down the ions by deflecting the ions out of a plurality of the carbon fibers of the carbon fiber lattice.

[007] In some embodiments, the method involves increasing an area of ​​the carbon fiber lattice that captures ions by operating an actuator to rotate or translate the carbon fiber lattice. The method may also involve providing multiple layers of a fibrous carbon material. The provision of the carbon fiber lattice may include arranging the carbon fibers in a plurality of directions.

[008] Another implementation of the present disclosure is an ion production system. The ion production system may include an ion source configured to produce ions, a target comprising a fibrous lattice, and an electrode positioned between the ion source and the target substrate and configured to accelerate the ions toward the target substrate so that the ions are incident on the fibrous lattice. The fibrous lattice is configured to capture the ions. The ions may be ytterbium ions, for example, including ytterbium-176 ions.

[009] The fibrous lattice may include a plurality of carbon fibers arranged in a plurality of directions. The target may include a plurality of layers of the fibrous lattice. The fibrous lattice may include graphite or carbon and may be configured to burn. The fibrous lattice may leave a residue comprising ions after burning of the fibrous lattice.

[0010] In some embodiments, the electrode provides the ions with energies greater than 100V. In some embodiments, the target includes a support configured to releasably fix the lattice in position relative to the support. The ion production system may include an operable actuator to rotate the target. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0011] The disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the attached figures, in which Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 9 / 82 3 / 21 similar reference numerals refer to similar elements, where:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an ion production system according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a target and voltage source of the ion production system in an embodiment involving positive ions according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a target and voltage source of the ion production system in an embodiment involving negative ions according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an ion production system having a magnetic rotation device, according to some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a fibrous lattice of a target of an ion production system, according to some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fibrous lattice of a target of an ion production system, according to some embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a top view of the target of an ion production system, according to some embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a top view of a fibrous network of a target from an ion production system, according to some experimental results.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a top view of a fibrous network of a target from an ion production system, according to some experimental results. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Before returning to the figures, which illustrate certain embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set out in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used in this document is for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0022] With reference generally to figures, systems and methods relating to an ion production system, for example, a heavy metal ion production system, are shown according to various exemplary embodiments. In particular, Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 10 / 82 4 / 21 The figures generally show systems and methods relating to the high-efficiency collection of ions (e.g., heavy metal ions, such as ytterbium ions, including ytterbium-176 ions) in a target of the ion production system, so that the ions are reconstituted as a material that can then be collected, stored, transported, used, etc. for various applications (e.g., a material having a high concentration of ytterbium-176 or another desired isotope).

[0023] As detailed below, ions are generated in an ion source and extracted from the ion source as an ion beam having a high extraction energy, for example, between 20 kV and 80 kV (e.g., between 40 kV and 60 kV) (noting that ion kinetic energy is often expressed in volts in this context, with one volt equal to one joule per coulomb; in other conventions, these values ​​may be expressed in keV). The ion beam can be passed through a magnetic analyzer, which uses a magnetic field to sort ions by momentum (or, if the charges of all generated ions are the same, by atomic mass) and a mass-resolving aperture that is arranged relative to the beam and the magnetic analyzer to primarily pass desired ions (e.g., ions of a desired isotope) while blocking other ions from passing through the aperture.An ion beam containing only the desired ions or a high percentage of the desired ions is thus passed through the aperture. Therefore, the mass-resolving aperture isolates the desired ions or a high percentage of the desired ions. The target (target substrate, substrate, etc.) is positioned so that the desired ion beam is incident on the target.

[0024] The approaches described here provide a high rate of ion adhesion to the target and low sputtering rates on the target, thus increasing the percentage of ions that are constituted as a neutral material (e.g., of the desired isotope) and decreasing the percentage of ions that are lost. The overall efficiency (e.g., energy and resource consumption per unit of material produced) of the entire ion production system is thus improved. The accumulation of ions on other undesirable surfaces of the ion production system (which may otherwise result from ion scattering) is also minimized or avoided, thereby reducing downtime and maintenance of the ion production system. Additionally, the approaches in this document can reduce heat transfer to the target substrate (heat load on the target, load of Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 11 / 82 5 / 21 thermal energy on the target) and thus reduce or eliminate a temperature management problem that could otherwise be caused by high-energy collisions on the target.

[0025] As detailed below, some of the advantages here are achieved in part and / or in some embodiments by maintaining the target at a voltage having the same polarity as the ions and having a magnitude slightly below the ion beam potential. The target voltage (and the electric field created by that voltage) causes a reduction in the ion beam energy as the ion beam approaches the target. For example, the target voltage can be selected to compensate (at least partially) for the energy added to the ion beam supplied by the extraction electrodes, so that the ion energy is reduced to thermal energy as the ions reach the target. In such cases, both the electronic stop (i.e., interactions between the ions and the target interactions between electrons of the ions and electrons of the target substrate) and the nuclear stop (i.e., interactions between the nuclei of the ions and nuclei of the target substrate) of the ions in the target are reduced to zero or near-zero levels.By reducing these interactions through the target potential, the ions are caused to adhere and form as a film on the target, instead of colliding with the target at high energies and pulverizing or scattering away.

[0026] The systems and methods described in this document also provide a target material that is well suited to efficiently capture incident ions and be easily reduced to a residue having a high concentration of a desired isotope / atom (i.e., of the ion beam). In particular, as described in detail below, a fibrous lattice, for example, a lattice, felt, mesh, etc. of carbon fibers (e.g., graphite fibers) can be positioned so that the ion beam is incident on it. The fibrous lattice captures the ions and can be easily burned (or subjected to some other reaction) when in the presence of oxygen to leave a residue having a high concentration of a desired isotope, for example.The fibrous lattice can be rotated or translated relative to the beam during ion production system operation to increase the target collection capacity before operation needs to be paused to harvest the desired isotope from the target. The various concepts described below thus provide, individually and collectively, highly efficient collection of a desired isotope. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 12 / 82 6 / 21

[0027] With reference now to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an ion production system 100 is shown, according to an illustrative embodiment. The ion production system 100 includes an ion source 102, extraction electrode(s) 104, a magnetic analyzer 106, a mass resolution aperture 108, a target 110, and a voltage source 112 connected to ground 114 and target 110. The ion source 102, extraction electrode(s) 104, magnetic analyzer 106, mass resolution aperture 108, and target 110 are arranged sequentially so that ions are generated in the ion source 102 and pass sequentially through the extraction electrode(s) 104, magnetic analyzer 106, and mass resolution aperture 108 before reaching the target 110. As detailed below, the ion production system 100 is configured to provide efficient collection of desired ions at the target 110 as a constituted neutral material that can be removed, stored, transported, etc., and eventually used for some application, for example, a healthcare application.

[0028] Ion source 102 is configured to produce ions. For example, ion source 102 may be configured as a Bernas or Freeman ion source, which includes an operable filament to emit electrons that ionize a gas supplied to ion source 102, for example, a heavy metal gas such as ytterbium vapor. Other metals (Lu, Tc, etc.) may also be used. The interactions between the electrons and the gas ionize the gas to produce ions. In some embodiments, ion source 102 produces positive ions (i.e., cations, ions having a positive polarity). In other embodiments, ion source 102 produces negative ions (i.e., anions, ions having a negative polarity). Ion source 102 includes an outlet slit or opening so that ions can be extracted from ion source 102.In some embodiments, the ion source 102 includes auxiliary heaters to protect elements of the ion source 102 and to improve the uniformity of ions for extraction from the ion source 102, for example, as described in detail in U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 122,699, filed December 8, 2020, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0029] The extraction electrode(s) 104 includes one or more electrodes that are configured and operated to provide an electric field that extracts ions from the ion source 102. Since ions have an electric charge of a first polarity (positive or negative in different modes), a voltage of the opposite polarity Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 13 / 82 7 / 21 extraction electrode(s) 104 will pull ions out of the ion source as an ion beam. The extraction electrode(s) 104 may include one or more electrodes to accelerate the ion beam, decelerate the ion beam, shape the beam, point the beam, etc. By providing an electric field that accelerates the ion beam out of the ion source 102, the extraction electrode(s) 104 provide(s) the ion beam with an extraction energy of the same or similar magnitude as a voltage from the extraction electrode(s) 104. For example, an electrode at a voltage of 55 kV can provide the ion beam with an extraction energy of 55 kV (noting that the kinetic energy of ions is often expressed in volts in this context, with one volt equal to one joule per coulomb) as the ion beam passes through the extraction electrode(s) 104.

[0030] An ion beam with a high extraction energy is thus provided as an output from the extraction electrode(s) 104. In various embodiments, the high extraction energy may be in a range between 20 kV and 80 kV, for example, between 40 kV and 60 kV (e.g., 55 kV). In such embodiments, the voltage applied to the extraction electrode(s) 104 may be selected to provide the ion beam with the desired extraction energy for a particular scenario.

[0031] In the example of FIG. 1, the ion beam passes from the extraction electrodes 104 to the magnetic analyzer 106. In other embodiments, the magnetic analyzer 106 is omitted. The magnetic analyzer 106 is configured to provide a magnetic field that creates magnetic forces on the ion beam. The magnetic force on each ion may be approximately equal, but the ion beam may include ions of different isotopes, so the masses of the ions vary. The magnetic force provided by the magnetic analyzer 106 may result in a separation of ions by mass. Thus, after passing through the magnetic analyzer 106, different areas of a cross-section of the ion beam may include different isotopes, i.e., ions of different mass.

[0032] In FIG. 1, the ion beam is illustrated to pass from the magnetic analyzer 106 to the mass resolution aperture 108, and the mass resolution aperture 108 is configured to block an unwanted subset of the ions from passing through the mass resolution aperture 108, while allowing the desired ions to pass through the mass resolution aperture 108. Thus, the mass resolution aperture 108 isolates the desired ions or a high percentage of the Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 14 / 82 8 / 21 desired ions. In particular, the ions allowed through the mass resolution aperture 108 are primarily ions of a desired isotope (or two desired isotopes), while ions of one or more other isotopes are intercepted by the mass resolution aperture 108. This is achieved by positioning the mass resolution aperture 108 relative to the magnetic analyzer 106 to take advantage of the mass isotope separation achieved by the magnetic analyzer 106. Various geometric arrangements are possible in various embodiments. Thus, in examples including the magnetic analyzer 106 and the mass resolution aperture 108, the ion beam reaching the target 110 includes a high percentage of a desired isotope or isotopes, with a low percentage of contamination by ions of different isotopes.

[0033] The ion beam of mass resolution aperture 108 is incident on target 110. Target 110 is configured to receive and collect ions from the ion beam. Target 110 may include a suitable substrate material to receive and retain ions, including as a film on a surface of target 110 and / or embedded in a lattice structure of target 110. For example, the substrate material of target 110 may have a crystal structure. As another example, the substrate material of target 110 may include a carbon fiber material (e.g., a carbon fiber cloth). The target material(s) 110 is / are also selected such that the target 110 is capable of being maintained at a substantially constant voltage as ions are collected, implanted, or otherwise received at the target 110. The target material(s) 110 may be selected to help cause the ions to adhere to or on the target 110.Target 110 can be removable and replaceable in the ion production system 100 to facilitate harvesting of the ionic material that accumulates on target 110 during the operation of the ion source 102.

[0034] Target 110 is shown to be coupled to a voltage source 112, which is connected between target 110 and ground 114. Other elements of the ion production system 100 also include suitable electronic elements, power sources, etc. to enable its operation. The voltage source 112 is configured to hold (put, establish, maintain, etc.) target 110 at a voltage (herein referred to as the target voltage) that has the same polarity as the ion beam. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-3 and discussed below, a positive voltage is supplied to target 110 by the voltage source 112 in scenarios where positive ions Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 15 / 82 9 / 21 are generated by the ion source, while a negative voltage is supplied to target 110 by voltage source 112 in scenarios where negative ions are generated by the ion source. In other embodiments, target 110 is connected directly to ground, so that target 110 is not deflected as in the examples of FIGS. 2-3.

[0035] The target voltage is preferably lower than the extraction energy of the ion beam, so that the ion beam is able to reach the target without being forced in the opposite direction by the target voltage, although it is high enough to reduce the ion beam energy far enough to minimize both electronic and nuclear stopping of the ion beam at target 110 (thus minimizing scattering or sputtering that would otherwise be caused by high-energy collisions between the ions and target 110). For example, the target voltage may be lower than the extraction energy by an amount corresponding to the thermal energy of the ions, so that the energy of the ions is reduced to the thermal energy as soon as the ions reach target 110.In several embodiments, the target voltage is either lower than the extraction energy or greater than 95% of the extraction energy, for example, greater than 99% of the extraction energy (although still being lower than the extraction energy). In some examples, the target voltage is approximately 100 V lower than the extraction energy, so that the ion beam has an energy of approximately 100 V when the ion beam hits the target (for example, the extraction energy minus the target voltage equals approximately 100 V). In one example, the extraction energy is 55 kV and the target voltage is 54.9 kV.

[0036] In some embodiments, the voltage source 112 and the target 110 are configured so that the voltage of the target 110 remains substantially constant throughout the operation of the ion production system 100 and as ions are collected on the target 110 (e.g., as a film on the target 110, embedded in the target 110) and are constituted in a neutral material (e.g., of the desired isotope(s)). In some cases, to facilitate removal of the ionized material constituted from the target 110, the target 110 may be removable from the ion production system 100. In some of these cases, the voltage source 112 is controlled to gradually reduce the target voltage towards zero to allow the target 110 to be disconnected from the voltage source 112 without interrupting the ionized material collected therein. In some modes, target 110 (or a portion thereof) is removed for use. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 16 / 82 10 / 21 in further transport and processing of the ionized material and replaced by a new target 110 (or a new portion thereof) for use in subsequent operation of the ion production system 100. In other embodiments, the ionized material may be removed from the target 110 and collected in a receptacle (or other collection and retention device) so that the target 110 may be reused in a subsequent operation of the ion production system 100 to collect more ions.

[0037] With reference now to FIG. 2, a schematic illustration of the target 110 and the voltage source 112 of the ion production system 100 in an embodiment involving the positive ion beam 150 is shown, according to an example embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a positive ion beam 150 (i.e., a beam of positively charged ions) directed at and incident on target 110.

[0038] Since the positive ion beam 150 has a positive polarity, the target voltage 110 is also supplied with a positive polarity. FIG. 2 illustrates that the target 110 is connected to a positive terminal of the voltage source 112, with the negative terminal of the voltage source 112 connected to ground 114. The voltage source 112 maintains the target 110 at a positive potential, that is, an electrical potential of the same polarity as the positive ion beam 150.

[0039] The positive potential of target 110 provides an electric field that resists the movement of the ion beam 150 towards target 110. The ion beam 150 must move through this electric field to reach target 110. In doing so, the kinetic energy of the ion beam 150 is converted into the electric potential of the ions in the electric field created by the positive potential of target 110. This can be thought of as being analogous to the ions rolling upwards to reach target 110. As discussed above, the target voltage is selected and maintained so that the positive ion beam 150 reaches a low energy, for example, a thermal energy, as soon as the positive ions reach target 110.Reduced to thermal energy, the positive ion beam 150 has no extra kinetic energy that would cause it to move away from the target 110 or cause sputtering or scattering, and thus the ions of the positive ion beam 150 adhere to the target 110, for example, forming the positive ion film 151 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0040] With reference now to FIG. 3, a schematic illustration of the target 110 and voltage source 112 of the ion production system 100 in an embodiment Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 17 / 82 Figure 11 / 21 involving a negative ion beam 152 is shown, according to an example embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a negative ion beam 152 (i.e., a beam of negatively charged ions) directed at target 110 and incident on target 110.

[0041] Since the negative ion beam 152 has a negative polarity, the target voltage 110 is also supplied with a negative polarity. FIG. 3 illustrates that the target 110 is connected to a negative terminal of the voltage source 112, with the positive terminal of the voltage source 112 connected to ground 114. The voltage source 112 holds the target 110 at a negative potential, that is, an electrical potential of the same polarity as the negative ion beam 152.

[0042] The negative potential of target 110 provides an electric field that resists the movement of the ion beam 152 towards target 110. The ion beam 152 must move through this electric field to reach target 110. In doing so, the kinetic energy of the ion beam 152 is converted into the electric potential of the ions in the electric field created by the negative potential of target 110. This can be thought of as being analogous to the ions rolling upwards to reach target 110. As discussed above, the target voltage is selected and maintained so that the negative ion beam 152 reaches a low energy, for example, a thermal energy, as soon as the negative ions reach target 110.Reduced to thermal energy, the negative ion beam 152 has no extra kinetic energy that would cause it to move away from the target 110 or cause sputtering or scattering, and thus the ions of the negative ion beam 152 adhere to the target 110, for example, forming the negative ion film 153 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] The ion production system 100 is thus configured for highly efficient production and collection of ions as a constituted ionized material. By adjusting the target 110 to the target voltage as described above, a high percentage of the ions incident on the target 110 are caused to adhere to the target 110, for example, forming a film on the target 110. The efficiency of the ion production system 100 is thus improved by providing collection of a high percentage of the desirable ions created by the ion source 102. Furthermore, as the material is sprayed or scattered away at a low or zero rate, it is also substantially prevented from accumulating on other undesirable surfaces in the ion production system 100, thus reducing downtime, cleaning, maintenance, etc. of the ion production system 100. In addition, although electronic or nuclear ion arrest Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 18 / 82 High-energy 12 / 21 impacts on the target (i.e., collisions between atoms) would cause the target's thermal energy to increase significantly; the methods in this document reduce the energy of the ions using the electrical potential supplied by the voltage source 112, thus preventing the accumulation of thermal energy in the target.

[0044] With reference now to FIG. 4, a schematic diagram of an apparatus 200 is shown which includes a vacuum chamber 202, an ion production system 204 and a magnetic rotation device 206, according to some embodiments.

[0045] The ion production system 204 is shown as including an ion beam generator 208 and a target 210. The ion beam generator 208 is configured to generate an ion beam and direct the ion beam towards the target 210 so that the ion beam is incident on the target 210. The ion beam generator 208 may include the ion source 102, the extraction electrodes 104, the magnetic analyzer 106 and / or the mass resolution aperture 108 of FIG. 1, for example. The target 210 may be configured in the same way as the target 110 of FIG. 1, for example.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, the target 210 is coupled to the magnetic rotation device 206. The magnetic rotation device 206 includes an inner plate (first plate) 212 and an outer plate (second plate) 214 and a motor 216. The inner plate 212 is inside (interior to, internal to, contained in) the vacuum chamber 202 and is positioned on an inner side 218 of a wall 220 of the vacuum chamber 202. The outer plate 214 is outside (exterior to, external to, not contained in) the vacuum chamber 202 and is positioned on an outer side 222 of the wall 220. The motor 216 is mechanically coupled to the outer plate 214. The target 210 is mechanically coupled to the inner plate 212.

[0047] Motor 216 is operable to drive the rotation of outer plate 214. Motor 216 can be an electric motor, for example, a stepper motor, which transforms electricity into rotational motion. Motor 216 is coupled to outer plate 214 so that the operation of motor 216 exerts a torque on outer plate 214 that causes rotation of outer plate 214 around a geometric axis of outer plate 214. A rotating drive rod of motor 216 can be aligned with the geometric axis of outer plate 214 to directly transfer the torque to the Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 19 / 82 13 / 21 outer plate 214 to cause the rotation of the outer plate 214. The motor 216 can be controllable to rotate the outer plate 214 at various speeds. In some embodiments, the motor 216 is operated to rotate the outer plate 214 at a rate of approximately one revolution per minute.

[0048] The outer plate 214 includes one or more magnets (e.g., permanent magnets) and the inner plate 212 also includes one or more magnets (e.g., permanent magnets) corresponding to one or more magnets of the outer plate 214. An example of the arrangement of magnets in the inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 is shown in FIGS 3-6 and described with reference thereto. The magnets of the outer plate 214 and the inner plate 212 are arranged so that an attractive force is exerted on the inner plate 212 by the outer plate 214 and vice versa. For example, one or more magnets on the outer plate 214 can be arranged with a positive magnetic polarity facing the wall 220, while one or more magnets on the inner plate 212 are arranged with a negative magnetic polarity facing the wall 220 (or vice versa), so that the magnets are attracted to each other and a magnetic force pulls the inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 together.The magnets provide magnetic fields strong enough to exert an attractive force through the wall 220 of the vacuum chamber 202. The wall 220 may be approximately half an inch thick in some embodiments.

[0049] Due to the attractive magnetic force between the magnets of the outer plate 214 and the inner plate 212, the rotation of the outer plate 214 by the motor 216 causes the rotation of the inner plate 212. In the examples shown, the inner plate 212 rotates to coincide with the rotation of the outer plate 214 due to the magnetic coupling between them. The rotational motion and torque (e.g., angular kinetic energy) are thus communicated through the wall 220 of the vacuum chamber 202 without compromising the integrity of a hermetic seal of the vacuum chamber 202 (e.g., without requiring mechanical engagement between the inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 which may be difficult to hermetically seal). Because, as shown in FIG. 4, the target 210 is mounted on the inner plate 212, the rotation of the inner plate 212 rotates the target 210.Although the examples in this document refer to rotation, in other embodiments, motor 216 is arranged to translate the outer plate 214 (for example, in one or two dimensions) to thereby cause the corresponding translation of the inner plate 212 and the target 210. The operation of motor 216, therefore... Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, p. 20 / 82 14 / 21 mode, causes target movement 210, for example, target rotation 210.

[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the ion beam generator 208 directs the ion beam onto the target 210 so that the ion beam is misaligned (displaced, etc.) with respect to a geometric axis of rotation of the target 210. Consequently, when the target 210 rotates by operation of the magnetic rotation device 206, the point or area where the ion beam is incident on the target 210 changes. The rotation of the target 210 over time causes the ion beam to be incident on different portions of the target 210 over time, thus increasing the total area of ​​the target 210 that is exposed to the ion beam. The movement of the target 210, in this way, allows a larger area of ​​the target 210 to be exposed to the ion beam and to capture ions and / or isotopes from the ion beam. The 210 target can therefore capture more material compared to a mode with a static 210 target, allowing for longer continuous operation of the 200 device before the target is full (saturated in terms of capacity, etc.).Rotating the target can also help reduce temperature gradients across the target, which can be undesirable.

[0051] The magnetic rotation device 206 is also configured to provide heat transfer into or out of the vacuum chamber, for example, to remove heat from the target 210 to manage its temperature. As shown, the inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 are both positioned in contact with the wall 220 of the vacuum chamber 202. The inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 may include a material with high thermal conductivity (i.e., low resistance to heat flow through it), for example, a metal such as steel. The wall 220 may be made of a similar material. The inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 are in thermal contact with each other through the wall 220. This thermal contact is maintained by the attractive force between the magnets of the inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214, which can force the inner plate 212 and the outer plate 214 towards each other and into contact with the wall 220.Target 210 is shown as positioned on inner plate 212. A pathway for heat transfer is thus provided from target 210 to outer plate 214.

[0052] In the embodiment shown, the apparatus 200 also includes a cooling system 224 in thermal communication with the outer plate 214. The cooling system 224 may include a refrigeration cycle (including a compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator, for example) configured to Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 21 / 82 15 / 21 remove heat from the outer plate 214. For example, the cooling system 224 may provide a cooled fluid through one or more coils or other heat exchanger in thermal contact with the outer plate 214. Cooling the outer plate 214 increases the heat flow away from the target 210, which may be desirable in embodiments where the collision of the ion beam with the target 210 provides thermal energy to the target 210. In other scenarios (e.g., other use cases for the magnetic rotation device 206), the cooling system 224 may include or be replaced by a heating system configured to provide thermal energy to the outer plate 214 in order to transfer thermal energy (heat) to the vacuum chamber 202 through the inner plate 212.

[0053] With reference now to FIG. 5, an exploded view of target 110 (or target 210) or a portion thereof (e.g., a fibrous lattice thereof) is shown, according to some embodiments. In the example of FIG. 5, target 110 includes a first lattice 400 and a second lattice 402 which form target 110 as a fibrous lattice. The first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 can be stacked as layers to form target 110. In other embodiments, other numbers of lattices (layers) are included in target 110 (e.g., one, three, four, five, etc.). The fibrous lattice can be formed as a carbon felt or carbon foam in various embodiments.

[0054] The first 400 lattice includes a plurality of fibers arranged in a plurality of directions, shown as two orthogonal directions. The plurality of fibers may be woven together or otherwise coupled to form the first 400 lattice. The second 402 lattice also includes a plurality of fibers arranged in a plurality of directions, shown as two orthogonal directions, which are woven together or otherwise coupled to form the second 402 lattice. The first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice may be arranged relative to each other so that the fibers of the first 400 lattice are parallel to the fibers of the second 402 lattice, or they may be oriented differently so that the fibers of the first 400 lattice are at non-orthogonal angles relative to the fibers of the second 402 lattice.In some embodiments, the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice appear substantially solid to the naked eye, but are made of fibers at a microscopic or smaller level. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, p. 22 / 82 16 / 21

[0055] The fibers of the first 400 crosslink and the second 402 crosslink may be made of carbon, for example, as FIG. 5 shows a first 400 crosslink of carbon fibers and a second 402 crosslink of carbon fibers. In some embodiments, the fibers are made of graphite, for example, so that some or all of the fibers of the first 400 crosslink and the second 402 crosslink are graphite fibers. The fiber material is preferably of high purity (e.g., greater than 95% carbon) so that, when burned (in the presence of oxygen), the carbon fibers themselves leave little or no solid residue. When in a vacuum (for example, when inside vacuum chamber 202 during operation of apparatus 200, substantially outside the presence of oxygen), the carbon fibers are configured to handle high temperatures (for example, greater than 200°C, greater than 300°C, greater than 800°C) without substantially deforming, melting, etc.

[0056] The first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 are configured to capture incident ions (e.g., ions from the ion beam provided by the ion beam generator 208 of FIG. 4). The arrangement of the plurality of fibers causes an ion to deflect (scatter, collide, etc.) out of multiple fibers as the ion's kinetic energy is reduced until the ion remains on target 110 (e.g., reduced to thermal energy), without scattering away from target 110 after a single collision. The fiber arrangement is partially porous, so that some ions are able to penetrate beyond an outer surface of the first lattice 400, thus reducing the amount of energy accumulated on the surface of the first lattice 400 and allowing ions to scatter multiple times without escaping from target 110 (e.g., vaporizing away from target 110).Consequently, in relation to a flat plate or block of material, the lattice structure provides a high surface area and overlapping geometry that can facilitate the capture of a high percentage of incident ions on target 110 (e.g., greater than 40%, greater than 90% in some arrangements). The first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 thus provide efficient collection of the desired isotope on target 110.

[0057] The first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 are also configured to burn (in the presence of oxygen) or otherwise react to leave (e.g., be reduced to) a residue that includes a high concentration of the desired isotope. For example, the fibrous lattice configuration of FIG. 5 Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 23 / 82 17 / 21 provides target 110 with a high surface area to mass ratio compared to a solid block or plate of carbon or graphite, which allows for relatively easy burning of the first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 (e.g., compared to a solid block of graphite, which typically does not burn). For example, during operation of the ion production system 100, target 110 captures the desired isotope (in the first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 in the example of FIG. 5) while target 110 is kept in vacuum without a substantial amount of oxygen present (thus preventing complete burning of target 110). Target 110 can then be removed from the vacuum (e.g., target 210 can be removed from vacuum chamber 202 in the example of FIG. 4) for processing to extract the isotope from the fibrous lattice. Outside of a vacuum, oxygen is present, which allows the carbon fibers to burn.The fibrous lattice (e.g., the first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402) can then be burned to reduce the fibrous lattice to a residue having a high concentration of the desired isotope. The carbon dissipates as gas after burning, so the remaining material is of the desired isotope, which can oxidize during the extraction process. For example, in some embodiments, an oxidized ytterbium powder (e.g., oxidized ytterbium-176) is left as a powder (e.g., white powder) after burning the target.

[0058] With reference now to FIG. 6, a perspective view of a 500 fibrous lattice of target 110 (or target 210) is shown, according to some embodiments. The 500 fibrous lattice can be used as an alternative to the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice of FIG. 5, or it can be used in combination with the first 400 lattice and / or the second 402 lattice of FIG. 5 in various embodiments.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6, the fibrous lattice 500 includes a plurality of fibers arranged in an entangled network, so that the fibrous lattice 500 can be characterized as an open-cell foam. As in the example in FIG. 5, the plurality of fibers can be carbon fibers and / or graphite fibers. The fibrous lattice 500 is configured to capture ions (e.g., from the ion beam generated by the ion beam generator 208 in the example in FIG. 2) so that the desired isotope is collected in the fibrous lattice 500. The fibrous structure of the fibrous lattice 500 can cause ions to deflect out of multiple fibers before Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 24 / 82 18 / 21 of them come to rest in the fibrous lattice 500, without spreading away from the fibrous lattice 500 after a single collision. The fibrous lattice 500 also has a high surface area to mass ratio which facilitates easy burning of the fibrous lattice 500 to reduce the fibrous lattice 500 to a residue having a high concentration of the desired isotope.

[0060] With reference now to FIG. 7, a top view of target 210 (or target 110) is shown, according to some embodiments. In the example shown, target 210 is shown as including the first reticle 400 (the second reticle 402 may be included in some embodiments, for example, obscured behind the first reticle 400 from the perspective of FIG. 7), a support plate 600, a support 602 formed as a ring and positioned so that the first reticle 400 is between the support 602 and the support plate 600, and screws (or other coupling members, for example, bolts, clips, connectors, etc.) 604 coupling the support 602 to the support plate 600.

[0061] When screws 604 are tightened, support 602 holds the first lattice 400 (or another fibrous lattice, for example, fibrous lattice 500) against the support plate 600 so that the first lattice 400 is fixed in position relative to the support plate 600. Screws 604 can be loosened to release the first lattice 400 from support 602 so that the first lattice 400 can be removed to collect the isotope collected from the first lattice 400.

[0062] In some embodiments, the support plate 600 is coupled to or is part of the inner plate 212 of the magnetic rotation device 206 (actuator) of FIG. 4. In such embodiments, the operation of the motor 216 to drive the outer plate 214 causes rotation of the inner plate 212, the support plate 600, the support 602 and the fibrous lattice (e.g., the first lattice 400). The fibrous lattice is thus rotated about an axis, for example, to increase the surface areas of the fibrous lattice (e.g., of the first lattice 400) on which the ion beam is incident.

[0063] FIG. 7 shows an example where a beam of ytterbium ions with energies of 60kV was generated and directed to the first 400 lattice, causing the first 400 lattice to capture the ytterbium ions / atoms. FIG. 7 shows an area Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 25 / 82 Figure 7 illustrates that moving the first 400 lattice while the ion beam is incident on the first 400 lattice (e.g., by rotation as described above) can allow more of the first 400 lattice to be used for ion capture, thereby increasing the total collection of desired isotopes / atoms.

[0064] With reference now to FIG. 8, a top of the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice (partially obscured by the first 400 lattice) is shown, according to an experimental result. In the example of FIG. 8, a beam of ytterbium ions having energies of approximately 5kV was supplied incident on the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice (with some ions passing through the first 400 lattice to reach the second 402 lattice). A burn area 700 shows where the ions were collected in the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice. The experiment of FIG. 8 shows that ytterbium can be captured by the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice. FIG. Figure 8 also illustrates that rotating the first lattice 400 and the second lattice 402 would expose more of the fibrous lattice material to the ion beam to increase the total collection of a desired isotope by the fibrous lattice.

[0065] With reference now to FIG. 9, a top of the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice (partially obscured by the first 400 lattice) is shown, according to another experimental result. In the example of FIG. 9, a beam of ytterbium ions having energies of approximately 0.3kV was supplied incident on the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice (with some ions passing through the first 400 lattice to reach the second 402 lattice). A burn area 800 shows where the ions were collected in the first 400 lattice and the second 402 lattice. Comparing the experiments of FIGS. 8 to 9, the beam having energies of approximately 0.3kV provided increased capture compared to the beam of approximately 5kV (as evidenced by the larger burn area 800 compared to the burn area 700). FIGS. 8 and 9 thus illustrate the advantage of reducing ionic energy before collision with target 110 as described above with reference to FIGS.Figures 1 to 3. FIG. 9 also illustrates that rotating the first 400 grid and the second 402 grid would expose more of the... Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 26 / 82 20 / 21 fibrous cross-linked material to the ion beam to increase the total collection of a desired isotope by the fibrous cross-link. The various characteristics described here in this way contribute to highly efficient capture of the desired isotope(s) / atom(s) in a fibrous cross-linked material from which a residue rich in the desired particles can be easily obtained.

[0066] Although the above discussion provides an overview of the physics principles associated with the operation of the ion production system 100, the effects of target voltage on the ion beam, etc., it should be appreciated that the behavior of ion beams is complex and that additional or alternative theories or experimental results may be used to provide further or alternative explanations for the various advantages of the systems and methods described in this document. For example, experimental results have shown that providing the target 110 with a target voltage of the same polarity as the ion beam, as described above, provides the advantages described in this document and that the fibrous lattice materials described in this document provide efficient capture of desired isotopes, such as ytterbium-176.

[0067] As used in this document, the terms approximately, about, substantially, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those skilled in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure relates. It should be understood by those skilled in the art reviewing this disclosure that these terms are intended to permit a description of certain described and claimed features without restricting the scope of those features to precise numerical values ​​or idealized geometric shapes. Consequently, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the described and claimed matter are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

[0068] The term coupled and variations thereof, as used in this document, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such a union may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such a union may be achieved with the two members coupled directly to one another, with the two members coupled to one another using a separate intervening member, and any intervening members. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 27 / 82 21 / 21 additional couplings coupled to each other, or with the two members coupled to each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If coupling or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of coupling given above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., directly coupled means the union of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of coupling given above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic.

[0069] References in this document to the positions of elements (e.g., top, bottom, above, below) are used merely to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may vary according to other exemplary embodiments, and it is intended that these variations be covered by this disclosure.

[0070] Although the figures and description may illustrate a specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from what is represented and described, unless otherwise specified above. Furthermore, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or with partial concurrency, unless otherwise specified above. Such variation may depend, for example, on the software and hardware systems chosen and the designer's choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Similarly, software implementations of the described methods could be performed using standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to perform the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, page 28 / 82

Claims

1 / 2 CLAIMS 1. A method, characterized in that it comprises: accelerating ions towards a carbon fiber lattice; and capturing the ions in the carbon fiber lattice, wherein increasing an area of ​​the carbon fiber lattice that captures the ions by operating an actuator to rotate or translate the carbon fiber lattice, optionally on the condition that the matter deferred in main application BR112024006269-4 is excluded.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that operating the actuator comprises rotating the carbon fiber lattice.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that operating the actuator comprises translating the carbon fiber lattice.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the carbon fiber lattice comprises multiple layers of a fibrous carbon material.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the carbon fiber lattice comprises carbon fibers arranged in a plurality of directions.

6. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the acceleration of ions towards the carbon fiber lattice comprises supplying the ions with energies greater than 100V.

7. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the capture of ions in the carbon fiber lattice comprises slowing down the ions by deflecting the ions out of a plurality of carbon fibers in the carbon fiber lattice.

8. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises burning the carbon fiber cross-link to obtain a residue comprising the ions. Petition 870260071863, dated 20 / 07 / 2026, page 29 / 82 2 / 2 9. Ion production system, characterized in that it comprises: an ion source configured to produce ions; a target comprising a fibrous lattice of carbon fibers; and an electrode positioned between the ion source and the target and configured to accelerate the ions towards the target so that the ions are incident on the fibrous lattice; wherein the fibrous lattice is configured to capture the ions, wherein an actuator operable to rotate the target so that the operation of the actuator increases an area of ​​the fibrous lattice that captures the ions.

10. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the carbon fibers are arranged in a plurality of directions.

11. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the target comprises a plurality of layers of fibrous lattice.

12. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the fibrous network comprises graphite.

13. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the fibrous network is configured to burn.

14. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the fibrous network is configured to leave a residue comprising the ions after burning of the fibrous network.

15. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the electrode supplies the ions with energies greater than 100V.

16. Ion production system according to claim 9, characterized in that the target comprises a support configured to releasably fix the fibrous lattice in position relative to the support. Petition 870260071863, dated 07 / 20 / 2026, p. 30 / 82

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