The authors have developed metallic ion beams in the energy range of a few keV to a few MeV using a low-energy ion-beam facility (LEIBF) consisting of a 10 GHz all-permanent-magnet electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source placed on a high-voltage (200 kV) platform. The metallic vapors were achieved by plasma sputtering, using a micro-oven and volatile compounds to produce multiply charged ECR plasma. The ions were then extracted from the plasma and their energy and momentum were analyzed using a high-resolution dipole magnet. Charge-state distributions (CSDs) of three metallic ECR plasmas (Cu, Ni, and Sn) produced by different techniques are presented to help in using low-energy metallic ions for implantation. We present the CSD studies of metallic ECR plasma and highlight the physics of the process involved. (C) 2008 American Vacuum Society.