We have constructed a rf plasma sputter‐type heavy negative ion source, which can deliver high current negative ion beams such as Cu−of 12.1 mA, Si−of 3.8 mA, and B−2of 1 mA in dc operation mode. In our source, the estimated negative ion production probability of Cu was much more than the value obtained by the conventional negative ionization probability equation with an exponential dependence on velocity. We measured heavy negative ion production probabilities by Xe+sputtering on various cesiated metals. The probabilities were strongly affected by the cesiated surface condition which was determined by a flux of neutral cesium supply to the surface and a target surface temperature. The measured maximum probabilities at the optimal conditions were considerably high, and they were about 10% or more for Cu, C, Si, Ge, and W targets and about 1% for Ta and Mo targets. The probability for very low velocity particles such as sputtered heavy metal atoms might be affected by a surface ionization process with a high local surface temperature.