Investigation of large-area multiarc pulsed ion source plasma parameters

Using plasma probes of different geometry and spectroscopic methods, crucial plasma parameters like electron temperature, plasma density and plasma potential were measured on the multiarc large area ion source (MAIS). MAIS is a pulsed source of plane geometry and circular circumference, in which the ion emitting plasma is built up by synchronous ignition of an array of 180 individual discharge units. The total current through all discharge units was varied in the range of 100-300 A. The pulse duration, was of the order of τ≈30 μs, the applied acceleration voltage U=10-20 kV