Electrical Breakdown Mechanisms in Vacuum Diodes

This paper investigates the roles of different mechanisms constituting the process of electrical breakdown in vacuum. Random variable "vacuum breakdown voltage" was measured for pulse breakdowns in five types of vacuum diodes, with different values of vacuum pressure and inter-electrode gap. Conclusions about the influence of vacuum pressure and inter-electrode distance on the parameters of theoretical statistical distributions have been drawn. Based on the distribution to which the "vacuum breakdown voltage" random variable adheres, the dominance of certain breakdown mechanisms has been established for specific ranges of vacuum pressure. The observed absence of anode vacuum breakdown at small inter-electrode gaps has been given a theoretical interpretation.