Abstract: Arc ion plating is one of the most commonly used technique in vacuum film depsition technology, a long -term development in the fields of scientific research and industrial production have been obtained in present. However, the effects of some process parameters including arc current, deposition pressure, deposition temperature, etc. on film structure and properties were often scattered in different literatures during film deposition, being not conducive to the deep understanding of these parameters. This present paper reviews the role of the process parameters including arc current, deposition pressure, target - substrate distance, substrate bias, deposition temperature and external magnetic field, etc. It can be deeply recognized for the roles of these parameters on film structure and properties, through the summary of these process parameters during film deposition, which promotes the process development and progress of vacuum film deposition technology.

Key words: arc ion plating, arc current, deposition pressure, substrate bias, deposition temperature