Patent ID: 7672355

Claim:
A metal vapor vacuum arc (MeVVA) apparatus, comprising: a vacuum head including: an upper housing including a plurality of ports for receiving electrical conducting elements; a lower vacuum housing attached to said upper housing, said lower vacuum housing including a plurality of ports, a vacuum space, and a first grid positioned in said vacuum space; a plurality of electrodes each positioned in one of said plurality of lower housing ports, each said electrode having a first end, extending into said upper housing and having an electrical contact area thereon for selectively making and breaking electrical connection with a first electrical conducting element of such electrical conducting elements, and a second end extending into said vacuum space and having an exposed electrical discharge area spaced from said first grid; an opposite polarity electrode positioned in one of said plurality of lower housing ports having a first end, extending into said upper housing and electrically connected to a second electrical conducting element of such electrical conducting elements, and a second end attached to said first grid; an extractor grid positioned adjacent to said first grid; an electrode selector having a plurality of outputs each connected to one of said electrical contact areas of said plurality of electrodes and a common input connected to the first electrical conducting element; and a trigger generator circuit connected to an input of said electrode selector.