Title :
Crystal structure of the metal postbreakdown droplets on a nanometric or atomic scale
Author :
Shrednik, Vladimir N.
Author_Institution :
A.F. Ioffe Physicotech. Inst., Acad. of Sci., St. Petersburg, Russia
Abstract :
The formation of microprotrusions with droplets as a result of vacuum breakdown on a metal field emitter is well known. These microprotrusions can grow during solidification of a liquid molten phase both on the cathode and on anode. Results of field emission microscopy investigation of the surface of postbreakdown droplets (both on cathode and anode) are summarized and analysed. Taking into account very high rates of cooling of the material at and directly after droplet formation the observed properties of the droplets surfaces (and the bulk) can be explained as disordering and amorphization of their bulk structure and especially the parts near to the surface
Keywords :
anodes; cathodes; cooling; crystal structure; drops; electron field emission; field emission electron microscopy; solidification; vacuum breakdown; amorphization; anode; atomic scale; bulk structure disordering; cathode; cooling rates; crystal structure; droplets; field emission microscopy; liquid molten phase; metal field emitter; metal postbreakdown droplets; microprotrusions formation; nanometric scale; solidification; vacuum breakdown; Anodes; Cathodes; Copper alloys; Electric breakdown; Electron microscopy; Iron alloys; Nickel alloys; Surface cleaning; Surface structures; 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.1996.545326
