Title :
Influence of electrode shape and electron beam treatment on conditioning in vacuum gap breakdown
Author :
Shioiri, T. ; Kamikawaji, T. ; Kaneko, E. ; Homma, M.
Author_Institution :
Toshiba Corp., Tokyo, Japan
Abstract :
The authors have been studying the conditioning effect characteristic of dielectric breakdowns in a vacuum. Tests were carried out to see the conditioning effect at nonuniform field gaps and the effect of electron beam treatment. The results of the tests with stainless steel electrodes showed that the smaller the cathode electrode area, the sooner the conditioning effect at nonuniform field gaps ended and as with uniform field gaps, the electrode area was also important. The conditioning effect can be ended sooner by allowing a melted layer, having a finer structure, to form on the electrode surface by treating it with an electron beam. This effect is produced probably because the electron beam treatment suppresses prebreakdown currents and removes impurities from the electrode surface and inside it
Keywords :
cathodes; electron beam effects; electron field emission; vacuum breakdown; cathode electrode area; conditioning effect; dielectric breakdowns; electrode shape; electrode surface; electron beam treatment; impurities removal; melted layer; nonuniform field gaps; prebreakdown currents suppression; stainless steel electrodes; vacuum gap breakdown; Cathodes; Dielectric breakdown; Electrodes; Electron beams; Impurities; Shape; Steel; Surface treatment; Testing; Vacuum breakdown;
Conference_Titel :
Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum, 1996. Proceedings. ISDEIV., XVIIth International Symposium on
Conference_Location :
Berkeley, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-2906-6
DOI :
10.1109/DEIV.1996.545327