Experimental study on the formation of triggered vacuum discharge anodic arc

Abstract The anodic arc of vacuum discharge can generate ion beams with relatively high density, which exhibits unique advantages and broad application prospects in the field of material processing. However, the generation of traditional anodic arcs is often constrained by conditions such as kA-level high current, sub-millimeter short gap, sub-millimeter anode size, and low-melting-point materials like aluminum. This study proposes an effective formation method for vacuum anodic arcs: by combining the pre-ionization effect of triggering with the discharge of the main circuit, an anodic arc for high-melting-point metals like titanium is realized. The results indicate that with triggering-induced pre-ionization, a reasonable combination of titanium anode parameters—including a main circuit breakdown voltage of 8–15 kV, an electrode gap of 4–10 mm, and an anode size of 1–3 mm—achieves a microsecond-level ( μ s) pulsed anodic arc. Under the same trigger current and anode size, the anodic arc intensity increases significantly with the increase in electrode gap; with the same electrode gap and anode size, it increases significantly as the trigger current decreases; and when the trigger current and electrode gap remain unchanged, it weakens rapidly with the increase in anode size. Studies on the influence of discharge and structural parameters on the anodic arc indicate that the power density deposited on the anode during the high-voltage discharge stage is the key parameter determining arc generation. Based on the experimental results, the order of magnitude of the power density required is estimated to be 10 10 W m −2 . This study can provide a reference for the design of vacuum anodic arcs devices.