The accelerator provides a primary ion beam for the sputtering process. Argon gas is commonly used for the RF ion source. Without insulating gas, maximum beam energies are 100 keV and typical currents for a 60 keV Argon beam are 10 microamperes.

This pulsed pump laser from Quanta Ray runs at 10 Hz and delivers several hundred mJ per pulse where each pulse is 5-10 ns, depending on the wavelength. The laser is equipped with a harmonic generator allowing wavelengths of 1064 nm, 532 nm, and 355 nm.

The PDL-2 and PDL-3 from Quanta Ray and Spectra-Physics are available in the laboratory. Both dye lasers are tunable throughout the visible wavelengths and into the near IR and the near UV. These tuned wavelengths provide the photons for the resonant ionization process.

The reaction chamber can obtain UHV with an ion pump backed by two sorption pumps. Typical pressures during a sputtering experiment, however, are in the 10^-8 torr.

Virtual instrumentation controls the SIRIS apparatus via a LabVIEW based program interfaced with CAMAC modules through GPIB.