Glow discharge cleaning of vacuum switch tubes

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.108407· OSTI ID:5495397

Hayashi, T; Toya, H ^[1]

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1. Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Amagasaki, Hyogo (Japan). Central Research Lab.

This paper reports that glow discharge cleaning has ben advancing as a means of degassing vacuum chambers constructed for a large accelerator or for nuclear fusion research. To clean the whole surface of parts inside a vacuum switch tube (VST), a new technique is tried which generates glow discharge between the inner electrodes and copper grid surrounding it. Photographic observation reveals that the glow discharge spreads out and cleans the whole surface inside the VST. A breakdown test between the inner electrodes shows the effect of the cleaning with this technique. Higher breakdown voltage between the inner electrodes is attained by performing this glow discharge cleaning in argon rather than hydrogen gas. The difference of the cleaning effect seems to be attributed to that of the energy transfer from ion species to the absorbed molecules and microprotrusions on the surfaces.

• OSTI ID: 5495397
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Vol. 19:5; ISSN 0093-3813; ISSN ITPSB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426000* -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
ACCELERATORS
ARGON
CLEANING
DEGASSING
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
GLOW DISCHARGES
NONMETALS
PHOTOGRAPHY
RARE GASES
SURFACE CLEANING
SURFACE FINISHING
SWITCHES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
VACUUM SYSTEMS