Ion angular distribution in vacuum arc plasma

The angular distribution of the metal and gaseous ion flow from vacuum arc plasma has been investigated. A Mevva-type ion source and a Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass-spectrometer were used. The experiments were performed using a range of different cathode materials, including C, Al, Zn, Cu, Ti, Co, Cr, W, Pb, Cu_0.7Cr_0.3, W_0.4Co_0.17C_0.43, and Zn_0.4Pb_0.6, over a range of vacuum arc discharge parameters. Variable parameters in this study were vacuum arc discharge current, background gas pressure, configuration of cathode-anode gap, and composition of cathode material. A comparison with results obtained by other authors was made. The influence of discharge parameters on the ion angular distribution in a vacuum arc source is discussed.