Breakdown voltage of glow discharge of pin electrodes

One of the shortcomings of glow discharge tube is its high breakdown voltage. In this paper, 2-pin electrode, 3-pin electrodes and 4-pin electrode are fabricated. The breakdown voltages of glow discharge of these electrodes have been measured within the pressure range of 0.4–2.5 kPa. The breakdown voltages vary obviously for the different kinds of electrodes, and the maximum difference of the breakdown voltages is about 208 V. Electric fields of the electrodes are calculated and the results consist with the experimental results. It is concluded that the breakdown voltage can be significantly reduced by adjusting electrode structure without changing the distance between electrode pins. The proposed electrode structure has potential applications in devices of glow discharge.

► Pin electrodes with 2 pins, 3 pins and 4 pins respectively.
► Structures of the pin electrodes evidently affect the glow discharge behaviors.
► Minimum Vb values of pin electrodes that have the same pin distance vary greatly.
► Calculation of electric fields of the electrodes can explain the experimental result.