The Hall-effect thruster is a specific type of ion thruster. By far I am not an expect, but the Hall-effect is has something specifically to due with the moveme

The Hall-effect thruster is a specific type of ion thruster. By far I am not an expect, but the Hall-effect is has something specifically to due with the movement of electrons creating a current in the thruster, which I believe causes the ionization. Others ionize the propellant by bombarding it with electrons to create the ionization. And as another commenter pointed out, this is not the first ion thruster on a cubesat.