Cathodic Arcs: From Fractal Spots to Energetic Deposition

This book, substantially updated since its first publication, is an authoritative and comprehensive treatise on the physics and technology of cathodic arcs. It includes a detailed account of arc history, a textbook-like introduction to cathode phenomena, covers the relevant basic science of plasmas and thin film materials, deals with the infamous macroparticle issue, and describes a host of practical plasma filter solutions. The text pays particular attention to the relation of arc plasmas and their properties to surface modification and thin film deposition. By stressing the fractal nature of cathode spots, the theme of fluctuations can be found throughout the book: fluctuations affect all plasma properties and thereby have consequences for plasma-based surface modifications and film growth. Detailed explanations are complemented by compilations of plasma and materials data arranged in Periodic Tables. Written with researchers and advanced students in the fields of materials science and plasma physics in mind, it is suitable both as a reference work for the expert as well as an introduction for newcomers to the interdisciplinary fields of plasma-surface interaction and plasma-assisted deposition of thin films.

In this second edition, the book has been updated throughout to reflect progress in the understanding of arc physics and technology, and contains new material on deposition efficiency, and the influence of kinetic and potential ion energies on the microstructure of coatings, enhanced with new illustrations. The discussion of applications now includes new material on implications for renewable energy, environmentally-friendly materials, power switching, and space propulsion facilitated by vacuum arcs.