ELECTRODE EROSION LIMITS THE LIFETIME OF PULSED SPARK GAPS TO APPROXIMATELY 10 AND 10 PULSES WITH THE PRESENT STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY.

ELECTRODE EROSION LIMITS THE LIFETIME OF PULSED SPARK GAPS TO APPROXIMATELY 10 AND 10 PULSES WITH THE PRESENT STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY. SPIRE CORPORATION PROPOSES TO MAKE NEW TYPES OF REFRACTORY MATERIALS FOR ELECTRODE COATINGS BY ION IMPLANTATION, WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF EXTENDING THE LIFETIME TO BETWEEN 10 AND 10 PULSES. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, ION IMPLANTATION HAS NEVER BEEN TESTED FOR THIS APPLICATION. IT IS BELIEVED THAT TUNGSTEN ELECTRODES WITH THIN LAYERS OF WB OR WC,FORMED BY CASCADE ION IMPLANTATION, WILL HAVE IMPROVED WEAR CHARACTERISTICS. THE RATE OFELECTRODE EROSION IS A NEAR SURFACE MATERIALS PROBLEM WITH REFRACTORY METALS SUCH AS TUNGSTEN OR TUNGSTEN-ALLOYS EXHIBITING THE GREATEST LIFETIMES. TUNGSTEN-BORIDE AND TUNGSTENCARBIDE HAVE HIGH MELTING POINTS AND ARE VERY HARD MATERIALS. THEY MAY BE MORE SUITABLE FOR THIS APPLICATION BUT CANNOT BE MACHINED TO THE REQUIRED SHAPES, HENCE THE IMPLANTATION APPROACH TO FABRICATION. IN PHASE I WE WILL SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF FORMING TUNGSTEN-BORON AND TUNGSTEN-CARBON ALLOYS BY ION IMPLANATION AND DETERMINE IF THESE SURFACE COATINGS MEASURABLY DECREASE THE RATE OF EROSION OF PURE TUNGSTEN ELECTRODES.