Application of surface analysis techniques to pulsed power problems
Abstract
An assessment of some of the advantages and disadvantages of various surface analysis techniques applied to the analysis of both the insulators and conductors used in high voltage spark gaps is presented. Some of the analysis techniques introduced include Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis, Auger Electron Spectroscopy, X-ray Fluorescence, and Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy. The purpose of this review is to present some of these analysis techniques with emphasis placed on those techniques which give information about changes that occur on or near the surfaces on insulators and conductors. Surface charging makes most analysis techniques incapable of giving useful information about the changes on or near the surface of insulators. Because of the amount of information available from a single ESCA spectrum, such as shifts in binding energies due to changes in chemical environment, Auger electron peaks due to the relaxation of the atom after photoionization, and the quantitative information, ESCA is the best analysis technique available for the investigation of insulators. Also the problem of surface charging in ESCA is minimal. The analysis of conductors, however, is less complicated because surface charging is no longer a problem. Therefore, the use of AES, SIMS, and ESCA can all give some useful information about conductor surfaces.
- Publication:
-
Interim Report Texas Technological Univ
- Pub Date:
- March 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981ttu..rept.....J
- Keywords:
-
- Electric Conductors;
- Electrical Insulation;
- Spark Gaps;
- Surface Properties;
- Auger Spectroscopy;
- Electron Spectroscopy;
- Mass Spectroscopy;
- X Ray Fluorescence;
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering