Vacuum arc ion sources: A review

The vacuum arc ion source is unique among the arsenal of ion sources available to the experimenter in its capabilities for producing high current beams of metal ions, thereby providing a tool valuable especially for ion implantation and for accelerator injection applications. The source also provides a convenient approach to the investigation of fundamental vacuum arc phenomena via analysis of the ions formed within the metal plasma. First introduced several decades ago, this kind of ion beam generator is by now a relatively mature and widely used technology. Here we review the basic approach to vacuum arc ion source design, source embodiments that have been made and used around the world, their applications in several fields, and the vacuum arc plasma physics that has been explored using this kind of device as a diagnostic tool.