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An ion source design and manufacturing techniques allows longitudinal cathode expansion along the length of the anode layer source (ALS). Cathode covers are used to secure the cathode plates to the source body assembly of an ion source. The cathode covers allow the cathode plate to expand along the

An ion source design and manufacturing techniques allows longitudinal cathode expansion along the length of the anode layer source (ALS). Cathode covers are used to secure the cathode plates to the source body assembly of an ion source. The cathode covers allow the cathode plate to expand along the longitudinal axis of the ion source, thereby relieving the stress introduced by differential thermal expansion. In addition, the cathode cover configuration allows for less expensive cathode plates, including modular cathode plates. Such plates can be adjusted relative to the cathode-cathode gap to prolong the life of a given cathode plate and maintain source performance requirements. A cathode plate in a linear section of an ion source has symmetrical edges and can, therefore, be flipped over to exchange the first (worn) cathode edge with the second (unworn) cathode edge.

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What is claimed is: 1. An ion source having a source body, the ion source comprising: a cathode plate having a working edge positioned along a side of a cathode-cathode gap; and a cathode cover securing the cathode plate against the source body. 2. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the ion sourc

What is claimed is: 1. An ion source having a source body, the ion source comprising: a cathode plate having a working edge positioned along a side of a cathode-cathode gap; and a cathode cover securing the cathode plate against the source body. 2. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the ion source is an anode layer source. 3. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the cathode cover secures the cathode plate to substantially prohibit lateral movement of the cathode plate while allowing longitudinal expansion of the cathode plate. 4. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the cathode plate includes an elongated pin slot and the cathode cover includes a pin, the long axis of the elongated pin slot being oriented along the longitudinal axis of the cathode plate, the pin being inserted into the elongated pin slot of the cathode plate. 5. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the cathode plate includes an elongated fastener hole, the long axis of the elongated fastener hole being oriented along the longitudinal axis of the cathode plate, the cathode plate being secured to the source body by a fastener inserted through the cathode cover and the elongated fastener hole of the cathode plate and into the source body. 6. The ion source of claim 1 further comprising: an anchor fixed to the source body; and an adjustable push screw attached to the anchor surface and contacting the cathode cover, the push screw setting the lateral position of the cathode cover and the cathode plate relative to the cathode-cathode gap. 7. The ion source of claim 1 further comprising: an anchor fixed to the source body; and an adjustable pull screw inserted through the anchor surface and anchoring to the cathode cover, the pull screw setting the lateral position of the cathode cover and the cathode plate relative to the cathode-cathode gap. 8. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the source body comprises a plurality of source body modules. 9. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the cathode cover comprises a plurality of cathode cover modules. 10. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the ion source includes a linear section and the cathode plate extends the length of the linear section forming a closed path in the ion source with at least one other cathode plate. 11. The ion source of claim 1 wherein the cathode plate includes two symmetrical edges, such that both edges of the cathode plate operate as the working edge of the cathode-cathode gap. 12. A method of assembling an ion source, the method comprising: assembling a source body assembly; mounting an anode assembly with the source body assembly; positioning two or more cathode plates relative to the anode assembly to form an anode-cathode gap and a cathode-cathode gap, at least one of the cathode plates forming the outside edge of the cathode-cathode gap and including one or more elongated pin slots and one or more enlarged attachment holes; inserting a pin of a cathode cover into one of the elongated pin slots of the at least one of the cathode plates; and mounting the cathode cover to the source body assembly using a fastener inserted through one of the enlarged attachment holes of the cathode and into the source body assembly. 13. A method of assembling an anode layer source having a source body, the method comprising: securing a cathode plate against the source body using a cathode cover, the cathode plate having a working edge positioned along a side of a cathode-cathode gap in the anode layer source. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the cathode plate has two symmetrical edges capable of being used as the working edge positioned along the side of the cathode-cathode gap. 15. A method of maintaining an ion source, the method comprising: removing a cathode cover from an source assembly including at least one cathode plate having a worn edge and an unworn edge, the worn edge being worn as an edge of a cathode-cathode gap in the ion source during operation of the ion source; removing the cathode plate from the ion source assembly; and re-mounting the cathode plate to the ion source assembly such that the unworn edge forms the edge of the cathode-cathode gap in the ion source. 16. A method of maintaining an ion source having a cathode plate positioned against a source body the method comprising: loosening attachment fasteners securing a cathode cover module and the cathode plate to the source body, the cathode cover module being in laterally fixed alignment with the cathode plate; adjusting one or more adjustable screws positioned along the length of the cathode cover to reset a specified cathode-cathode gap dimension in the ion source; and tightening the attachment fasteners to re-secure the cathode cover module and the cathode plate to the source body.