Microscale Gas Breakdown Device And Process
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of Michigan State University
InventorsYangyang FU, Peng ZHANG, John P. VERBONCOEUR
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Abstract
A microscale gas breakdown device includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface define a gap distance. The device includes a perturbation on the first surface or the second surface. The perturbation is defined by a height value and a radius value. The device includes a current source or a voltage source configured to apply a current or a voltage across the first surface and the second surface. In response to the current or the voltage being applied, a resulting discharge travels along a first discharge path in response to being exposed to a high pressure and a second discharge path in response to being exposed to a low pressure.
Claims20
A microscale gas breakdown device comprising:
- a first surface;
- a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface define a gap distance;
- a perturbation on the first surface or the second surface, wherein the perturbation is defined by a height value and a radius value;
- and
- a current source or a voltage source configured to apply a current or a voltage across the first surface and the second surface, and, in response to the current or the voltage being applied, a resulting discharge travels along:
- a first discharge path in response to being exposed to a high pressure;
- and
- a second discharge path in response to being exposed to a low pressure.
A microscale gas breakdown device comprising:
- an anode surface;
- a cathode surface, wherein the anode surface and the cathode surface are separated by a gap distance;
- a perturbation on the cathode surface, wherein the perturbation is defined by a height value and a radius value, and wherein the height value and the radius value of the perturbation are based on an expected range of pressure;
- and
- a current source or a voltage source configured to apply a current or a voltage across the anode surface and the cathode surface, and, in response to the current or the voltage being applied, a resulting discharge travels along:
- a first discharge path in response to being exposed to a high pressure;
- and
- a second discharge path in response to being exposed to a low pressure, wherein the first discharge path is shorter than the second discharge path.
A microscale gas breakdown device comprising:
- an anode surface;
- a cathode surface, wherein the anode surface and the cathode surface are separated by a gap distance;
- a perturbation on the cathode surface, wherein the perturbation is defined by a height value and a radius value, and wherein the height value and the radius value of the perturbation are based on an expected range of pressure;
- and
- a current source or a voltage source configured to apply a current or a voltage across the anode surface and the cathode surface, and, in response to the current or the voltage being applied, a resulting discharge travels from:
- the anode surface to a tip of the perturbation on the cathode surface in response to being exposed to a high pressure;
- and
- the anode surface to a portion of the cathode surface parallel to the anode surface in response to being exposed to a low pressure, wherein a distance from the anode surface to the tip of the perturbation on the cathode surface is shorter than a distance from the anode surface to the portion of the cathode surface parallel to the anode surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.