Vacuum arc arrays for intense metal ion beam injectors

Arrays of vacuum arcs have been investigated as a high-flux source of metal ions. Twelve adjacent arcs have been ignited by a single trigger input. The ignition method consists of overvolting the electrode gap to 50 kV with a low-energy pulser; the method is compatible with high-repetition-rate operation. With aluminum electrodes, the flux of Al+ available for the extraction exceeded 1 A/cm2 over a 0.2 ms pulse. The flux was uniform in space and reproducible. The arc arrays were developed as a source for an intense ion beam generator for application to materials surface modification. (orig.)