Departure from Paschen's Law of Breakdown in Gases

Boyle, W. S.; Kisliuk, P.

doi:10.1103/physrev.97.255

Cited by 189 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…This notion of ion-induced field enhancements is well known. 21,26,27 The above qualitative assertion is that high fields at nano-protrusions could be established and lead to strong electron emission currents under high biasing. The role of Joule heating due to such currents, which is the main focus of this contribution, is discussed next.…”

Section: Model Analysismentioning

confidence: 94%

Heating based model analysis for explosive emission initiation at metal cathodes

et al. 2015

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This contribution presents a model analysis for the initiation of explosive emission; a phenomena that is observed at cathode surfaces under high current densities. Here, localized heating is quantitatively evaluated on ultrashort time scales as a potential mechanism that initiates explosive emission, based on a two-temperature, relaxation time model. Our calculations demonstrate a strong production of nonequilibrium phonons, ultimately leading to localized melting. Temperatures are predicted to reach the cathode melting point over nanosecond times within the first few monolayers of the protrusion. This result is in keeping with the temporal scales observed experimentally for the initiation of explosive emission. C 2015 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. [http://dx

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Section: Model Analysismentioning

confidence: 94%

Heating based model analysis for explosive emission initiation at metal cathodes

et al. 2015

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“…16. Although direct tunneling of electrons through this narrowed barrier remains insufficient, Boyle and Kisliuk [20] introduced in 1955 an alternative mechanism for electron emission that appears to alter the tunneling rate dramatically. Known as ion-enhanced secondary electron emission, or Ion-Enhanced Field Emission (IEFE), this process draws its significance from the influence of impinging positive ions on the rate of electron tunneling into vacuum from a surface.…”

Section: A Charge Transport Across the Base-collector Junctionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Control of the Interface Between Electron‐Hole and Electron‐Ion Plasmas: Hybrid Semiconductor‐Gas Phase Devices as a Gateway for Plasma Science

Tchertchian

Wagner

Houlahan

et al. 2011

Contrib. Plasma Phys.

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Coupling electron-hole (e − -h + ) and electron-ion plasmas across a narrow potential barrier with a strong electric field provides an interface between the two plasma genres and a pathway to electronic and photonic device functionality. The magnitude of the electric field present in the sheath of a low temperature, nonequilibrium microplasma is sufficient to influence the band structure of a semiconductor region in immediate proximity to the solid-gas phase interface. Optoelectronic devices demonstrated by leveraging this interaction are described here. A hybrid microplasma/semiconductor photodetector, having a Si cathode in the form of an inverted square pyramid encompassing a neon microplasma, exhibits a photosensitivity in the ∼ 420 -1100 nm region as high as 3.5 A/W. Direct tunneling of electrons into the collector and the Auger neutralization of ions arriving at the Si surface appear to be facilitated by an n-type inversion layer at the cathode surface resulting from bandbending by the microplasma sheath electric field. Recently, an npn plasma bipolar junction transistor (PBJT), in which a low temperature plasma serves as the collector in an otherwise Si device, has also been demonstrated. Having a measured small signal current gain h fe as large as 10, this phototransistor is capable of modulating and extinguishing the collector plasma with emitter-base bias voltages < 1 V. Electrons injected into the base when the emitter-base junction is forward-biased serve primarily to replace conduction band electrons lost to the collector plasma by secondary emission and ion-enhanced field emission in which ions arriving at the base-collector junction deform the electrostatic potential near the base surface, narrowing the potential barrier and thereby facilitating the tunneling of electrons into the collector. Of greatest significance, therefore, are the implications of active, plasma/solid state interfaces as a new frontier for plasma science. Specifically, the PBJT provides the first opportunity to control the electronic properties of a material at the boundary of, and interacting with, a plasma. By specifying the relative number densities of free (conduction band) and bound (valence band) electrons at the base-collector interface, the PBJT's emitter-base junction is able to dictate the rates of secondary electron emission (including Auger neutralization) at the semiconductor-plasma interface, thereby offering the ability to vary at will the effective secondary electron emission coefficient for the base surface.

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“…These applications range from classical lamps reaching to advanced technology such as plasma display panel and nanostructure materials [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The present work is concerned with decreasing the applied voltage and increasing the total current, as well as to reducing the consumed energy through argon discharge in cylindrical coaxial Vircator.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of the Secondary Townsend Emission through the Electric Discharge Characteristics in Coaxial Vircator

Shagar

El-Latif

Ebrahim

2018

Arab Journal of Nuclear Sciences and Applications

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The influence of secondary electron emission on self-sustaining and maintaining discharge current is studied using a new type of DC glow discharge operated on virtual cathode theory through argon gas. The radial electron beam is generated outside the diode in coaxial Vircator. The transported electric discharge, from non-self-sustaining to self-sustaining discharge, occurs in the Townsend region and strongly depends on the secondary electron emission. The first ionization acts as a breakdown starter, then the second emission completes the electric discharge without consumed energy. The present work aims to study the effect of some physical parameters on the secondary electron emission to reduce the applied breakdown voltage and improve the ionization process, as well as to reduce the consumed electric energy. During the study, it was found that the self-discharge started due to the second electron emission (γ) from the cathode which increased by increasing the ionization potential and decreasing the electric field. There was a balance between the first ionization coefficient and the electron attachment which confirms that the ( γ ) is the main element in the glow discharge. The minimum breakdown voltage for argon gas is 219 volts at Pd= 8 x 10 -2 Torr.cm.

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Departure from Paschen's Law of Breakdown in Gases

Cited by 189 publications

References 13 publications

Heating based model analysis for explosive emission initiation at metal cathodes

Heating based model analysis for explosive emission initiation at metal cathodes

Control of the Interface Between Electron‐Hole and Electron‐Ion Plasmas: Hybrid Semiconductor‐Gas Phase Devices as a Gateway for Plasma Science

Performance of the Secondary Townsend Emission through the Electric Discharge Characteristics in Coaxial Vircator

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