Controllable Gas-Discharge Device

Abstract

The invention relates to controllable powerful cold-cathode gas-discharge devices or pseudospark switches intended for rapidly switching high-current high-voltage circuits, which can be used in different pulse devices. The inventive cold-cathode gas-discharge device comprises an anode, a hollow cathode which is separated therefrom by a main discharge gap and whose base is oriented thereto, wherein said base is provided with openings embodied therein for coupling the main discharge gap to a trigger electrode which is arranged in the cathode cavity and is provided with an igniter made of a polycrystal semiconductor material based on a semiconductor whose energy gap is larger than 1.5 eV, the device comprises at least two contacting electrodes contacting with the igniter, wherein at least one electrode is connected to the trigger electrode, whereas the other is insulated therefrom and connected to the cathode, the maximum width of the contacting electrode in the cross-section thereof across a point where it is brought into contact with the igniter is equal to or less than 100 times the average pitch of roughness value on the igniter surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.