Titanium nitride electrodes for micro-gap discharge

Titanium and titanium nitride (TiN) were used as thin film electrodes for a micro-gap discharge device. The titanium electrodes were fabricated by sputter deposition of pure titanium accompanied with a lift-off process. The TiN electrodes were prepared by nitriding the titanium electrodes with nitrogen plasma. Gas discharges between the electrodes at various argon pressures were characterized and their breakdown voltages were compared. Both the titanium and TiN electrodes have a minimum breakdown voltage about 220 V at a pressure spacing product (P·d) of 0.8 mbar·cm. The nitrided electrodes were more durable than the as-deposited titanium electrodes upon a DC discharge for 5 s or 200 cycles of electrostatic discharge.