Multiply stripped ion generation in the metal vapor vacuum arc

Abstract

We consider the charge state distribution of ions produced in the metal vapor vacuum arc plasma discharge. A new kind of high current metal ion source in which the ion beam is extracted from a metal vapor vacuum arc plasma has been used to obtain the spectra of multiply charged ions produced within the cathode spots. The cathode materials used and the species reported on here are: C, Mg, Al, Si, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Rh, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Gd, Ho, Ta, W, Pt, Au, Pb, Th, and U; the arc current was 200 A for all measurements. Charge state spectra were measured using a time‐of‐flight method. In this paper we report on the measured charge state distributions and arc voltages and compare the distributions with the predictions of a theory in which ionization occurs in the cathode spots via stepwise ionization by electron impact.