Application of a Tangential Magnetic Field and Negative Repetitively Pulsed Bias for Suppression of Vacuum-Arc Copper Macroparticles

Abstract

The joint effect of magnetic fields normal and tangential to the cathode surface and of short-pulse highfrequency bias potential of negative polarity on the accumulation of macroparticles on the potential target immersed in copper vacuum-arc plasma is studied. It is shown that the application of a vacuum-arc evaporator with the magnetic field tangential to the cathode surface reduces by 5 times generation of copper macroparticles in comparison with an axially symmetric vacuum-arc evaporator in which the magnetic field normal to the working cathode surface is used. It is established that the joint action of the tangential field and short-pulse high-frequency bias potential makes it possible to decrease by 2–3 orders of magnitude the density of copper macroparticles on the target surface.