Mode Transition of Vacuum Arc Discharge and Its Effect on Ion Current

The mode transition of a pulsed vacuum arc discharge, which is from vacuum surface flashover to non-surface vacuum breakdown or vice versa, is studied by simply adjusting a trigger resistor. This approach provides a possibility to research the transition discharge process. Since the transition process is smooth and controllable, the transition mechanism and its effect on the performance of an ion source can be investigated via various diagnosis experiments. The experimental results show that the mode transition occurs when the resistance is in the range of 0–10 Ω. With the mode transition from surface flashover to non-surface vacuum breakdown, the vacuum arc discharge becomes more intense and the ion current produced by the Ti cathode ion source increases by two times. The related physical mechanism is also discussed in detail.