The present study deals with the effect of negatively charged ions on the ceramic coating formation on 2024 aluminium alloy during microarc oxidation (MAO) process. On the basis of the experimental results, two steps (the formation of an incipient film without arc presence and the growth of a ceramic coating with arc discharge) of MAO process have been observed. For comparison, four different negatively charged ions studied. It is proved that negatively charged ions strongly participated in the formation of an incipient film with high impedance value at the first step. The growth of ceramic coating depends on the combination between Al of the substrate and O from the electrolyte, and the negatively charged ions are little consumed. As an anodic oxide coating is prepared on the sample surface instead of the incipient film, the first step occurs easily and the growth of ceramic coating is accelerated. Furthermore, the mechanism of negatively charged ions in the formation of the MAO coating has been proposed. The present study deals with the effect of negatively charged ions on the ceramic coating formation on 2024 aluminum alloy during microarc oxidation (MAO) process. On the basis of the experimental results, two steps (the formation of an incipient film without arc presence and the growth of a ceramic coating with arc discharge) of MAO process have been observed. For comparison, four different negatively charged ions studied. It is proved that negatively charged ions strongly participated in the formation of an incipient film with high impedance value at the first step . The growth of ceramic coating depends on the combination between Al of the substrate and O from the electrolyte, and the negatively charged ions are little consumed. As an anodic oxide coating is prepared on the sample surface instead of the incipient film, the first step occurs easily and the growth of ceramic coating is accelerated. Furthermore, the mechanism of negatively charged ions in the formation of the MAO coati ng has been proposed.