Abstract: An energy storage system for use in a magnetic pulse welding and forming apparatus includes a bank of capacitors and a very-low inductance conductive bus system interconnecting the capacitors. The bus system provides the ability to generate a very high frequency, short duration impulse which is needed for welding. The bus system includes first, second and third flat bus panels disposed in closely spaced overlying relation. The second, or middle, bus panel is the “hot” bus and is electrically insulated from the first (lower) and third (upper) bus panels by sheets of electrically insulating material. The first and third bus panels are connected together cooperatively form a ground bus. The bus system overlies the upper ends of the capacitors wherein the second bus panel is electrically interconnected to the respective hot contacts of the capacitors, and further wherein the ground bus is electrically interconnected with the respective ground contacts of the plurality of capacitors.

Abstract: An apparatus for localized ion sputtering consists of a vacuum chamber, an anode and cathode disposed in spaced relation in the vacuum chamber, a power supply for generating an electric field between the anode and cathode, and a means for directing a stream of plasma forming gas tangent to a target surface of the cathode. The anode has a first surface which is disposed in facing relation to the target surface of the cathode and further has an opposing second surface. The electric field which is generated between the anode and cathode has lines of force which extend generally perpendicular to the target surface of the cathode. In operation, the plasma forming gas is ionized adjacent to the target surface of the cathode by the electric field wherein the ions bombard the target surface of the cathode to strip away particles of cathode material. The particles are deposited onto a substrate which is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the anode.