The role of inclusions and surface contamination arc initiation at low pressures

Maskrey, J.T.; Dugdale, R.A.

doi:10.1088/0508-3443/17/8/308

Cited by 34 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Breakdown in these circumstances may be much more akin to the glow-to-arc transition, i.e. depending, as we believe (Maskrey and Dugdale 1966), on a mechanism of electrical charging and breakdown of insulating surface contamination. The consequent burst of gas would then favour a Paschen breakdown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…In previous work (Maskrey and Dugdale 1966) superficial volatile contamination was found to play a vital role in arc initiation on cathode surfaces in a low-pressure gas discharge. It was also discovered that glow-to-arc transitions do not readily occur in the high-voltage low-pressure glow discharge if the cathode temperature is maintained above about 200"c (Dugdale 1967; see also Dugdale et al 1968).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Cathode contamination effects in a high-voltage glow discharge

Maskrey¹,

Ford²,

Dugdale³

1969

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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The electron emission from the cathode of a high-voltage low-pressure glow discharge, under various conditions, was studied with the aid of a simple electronemission microscope. The experiments were made in a roughing-pump atmosphere at a pressure of the order of 0.1 torr. Particular attention was paid to the influence of cathode temperature in the range 20-3OO"c. Organic contaminants appeared to spread over the cathode by an ion bombardment assisted process of surface migration at low temperatures, but decomposed to leave an immobile residue above about 1 5 0 " ~. The surface could be 'cleaned' by ion bombardment at an elevated temperature (250°c), and then appeared to remain in a relatively clean state while hot. Direct contamination from the gaseous atmosphere was not detected. This interpretation is discussed in regard to the glow-to-arc transition, to vapour-deposition processes and to vacuum breakdown.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Cathode contamination effects in a high-voltage glow discharge

Maskrey¹,

Ford²,

Dugdale³

1969

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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“…Although j , deduced from the total current and the exposed electrode area, exceeded 6000 A cm-2 on many occasions, no obvious marking, melting or erosion was evident at the cathode, whereas the anode suffered considerable damage, probably due to the large energy flux (Haines 1961). It was concluded that the cathode surface had not reached a sufficiently high temperature to emit thermionically, but emission from cathode spots may have occurred, as these often leave only microscopic markings (Maskrey and Dugdale 1966). Minimum breakdown voltages are shown as a function of shock-tube energizing voltage VO and Te in figure 3.…”

Section: Measurements Of V In Highly Ionized Argonmentioning

confidence: 98%

An investigation of the electrical breakdown of a plasma - electrode system

Fearn¹

1969

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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Electrical breakdown between a pair of electrodes immersed in a flowing plasma corresponds to the transition between low- and high-current conduction régimes and has been attributed to many causes. In the work reported here, which involved cold electrodes in contact with the plasma produced by an electromagnetic shock tube, it was found that the minimum breakdown voltage corresponded to an average electric field in the cathode sheath of about 2 MV cm−1 over a wide range of plasma conditions. This was probably adequate to initiate the formation of non-thermionic cathode spots, and the voltage-current characteristics in the high-current régime were consistent with a field-emission theory of this mechanism, originally suggested by Smy. Moreover, electric fields in the plasma, sheath thicknesses and mean free paths were such that alternative explanations of the high-current régime were reasonably eliminated.

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“…The effect of interruptions of the target power supply current on a sputtering system•s operation during gas -trapping can be substantial ; ( 8 ) simulate, this testing must be done on a sputtering system while it is actually trapping gas . The power supply parameter with an overriding effect is the length of time the current interruption lasts; normally the shorter it is, the quicker the system recovers; nevertheless, it must be long enough to quench the arc.…”

Section: System-interaction Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%