Improved lifetime high voltage switch electrode

In this Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, preliminary tests of ion implantation to increase the lifetime of spark switch electrodes have indicated that a 185 keV carbon ion implant into a tungsten-copper composite has reduced electrode erosion by a factor of two to four. Apparently, the thin layer of tungsten carbide (WC) has better thermal properties than pure tungsten; the WC may have penetrated into the unimplanted body of the electrode by liquid and/or solid phase diffusion during erosion testing. These encouraging results should provide the basis for a Phase 2 SBIR program to investigate further the physical and chemical effects of ion implantation on spark gap electrodes and to optimize the technique for applications.