Vacuum Breakdown of Sub-Micrometer Gap with Pointed Electrode

Abstract

Vacuum breakdown of very small gap in the range of 30nm to 2f m, between a pointed cathode of thin tungsten wire and a plane anode of stainless steel, was experimentally investigated. The experimental setup, which consists of both electrodes and precise positioning mechanisms actuated by piezoelectric devices, was installed in scanning electron microscope (SEM). Breakdown voltage decreases with decrease of gap spacing and/or radius of curvature at the tip of cathode. Theoretical consideration shows that the evaporation from the anode surface heated by field emission current is dominant factor of triggering vacuum breakdown.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 20, 2003
Accession Number
ADP014950

Entities

People

  • K. Fukatani
  • K. Ozaki
  • T. Takenaka
  • U. Ikeda
  • Y. Hirata

Organizations

  • Osaka University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boiling Point
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Curvature
  • Electrodes
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Electrons
  • Emission
  • Evaporation
  • Field Emission
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Flux
  • Ion Beams
  • Ionized Gases
  • Materials
  • Materials Processing
  • Scanning Electron Microscopes
  • Stainless Steel

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster