ION BEAM GENERATING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ion beam generating device capable of surely generating pulse-like vacuum arc discharge ignited frequently repeatedly in a long time operation and realizing high reliability and reduction of manufacturing cost. SOLUTION: In this device having an anode 19 and a plurality of cathodes 16A to 16D, pulse-like vacuum arc discharge ignited, with a trigger discharge used as a trigger, between the plurality of cathodes 16A to 16D and the anode 19, is generated in fixed order, a cathode substance being vaporized from cathode vaporizing surfaces and ionized, an ion beam is taken out consisting of cathode substance ions of the respective cathodes 16A to 16D. A vacuum arc igniting mechanism is provided which is adapted such that the trigger discharge is generated by causing a trigger electrode 3 to make contact with, and part from, a plurality of the cathodes 16A to 16D in fixed order by rotating the single trigger electrode 3.