Electrical breakdown and discharge plasma at small scales (typically submillimeter) have drawn great attention in the scientific community and industry over the past several decades due to the dramatic reduction in the physical size of electrical and electronic devices. These smaller devices have raised questions concerning the evaluation of the electrical insulation reliability of microstructures in MEMS or NEMS under a high electric field and how to design portable non-thermal microplasma sources with lower pow consumption. Addressing these issues motivates the theory, simulation, and experiments of electrical breakdown and discharge plasma from submillimeter to nanometer scales to guide and optimize device design and operation.
Since Boyle and Kisliuk discovered that gas breakdown for sufficiently small gaps at high pressure may deviate from classic Paschen’s law because of field emission in the 1950s, research has investigated the fundamental mechanisms and applications of breakdown behavior at microscale. Over the last two decades, numerous studies have employed novel experimental and diagnostic techniques to examine electrical breakdown across micro/nano gaps, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Meanwhile, particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) simulations and analytical calculations play important roles in understanding more specific parameters (e.g., electron density and electric field distributions) and the underlying physics (field emission, thermionic emission, space-charge limited current, and quantum effects). Moreover, the influence of operating conditions, such as electrode materials, electrode structures, gas or vacuum environment, and applied voltage, on electrical breakdown across micro/nano gaps still requires intensive study by experiment, simulation, and theory. More recent research has proposed a new algorithm combining electrodynamics and molecular dynamics, and revealed the atomic-scale deformation on the surface of nanotip electrodes during a high electric field, which requires experimental verification. Furthermore, the discharge plasma generated inside microgaps or nanogaps, as well as the microplasma jet, are important for practical applications, including medicine and combustion. Therefore, characterizing and understanding the fundamental properties of microplasmas for various pressures, working gases, and gas flow rates are essential, as are the possible applications in multiple areas, including field emission devices, biology, medicine, materials modification, and aerospace.
Hence, the aim of this research topic is to present the state-of-the-art advances on the characterization, influence factors, dynamics, and physical mechanisms of electrical breakdown and discharge plasma from microscale to nanoscale and beyond, as well as the practical applications in various fields. Original research articles and review articles on experimental studies, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations are all welcomed. The Research Topic calls for submissions in a list of themes including but not limited to:
• The characterization, influences mechanism and dynamics of gas/vacuum breakdown and discharge plasma from microscale to nanoscale
• Novel diagnosis technique and advances in understanding field emission and breakdown dynamics from microscale to nanoscale
• Novel theoretical models and simulation algorithms for breakdown and discharge plasma and related phenomena at micro/nanoscale
• Practical applications of microplasmas, microplasma jets, nanogap vacuum field emission, etc.
Electrical breakdown and discharge plasma at small scales (typically submillimeter) have drawn great attention in the scientific community and industry over the past several decades due to the dramatic reduction in the physical size of electrical and electronic devices. These smaller devices have raised questions concerning the evaluation of the electrical insulation reliability of microstructures in MEMS or NEMS under a high electric field and how to design portable non-thermal microplasma sources with lower pow consumption. Addressing these issues motivates the theory, simulation, and experiments of electrical breakdown and discharge plasma from submillimeter to nanometer scales to guide and optimize device design and operation.
Since Boyle and Kisliuk discovered that gas breakdown for sufficiently small gaps at high pressure may deviate from classic Paschen’s law because of field emission in the 1950s, research has investigated the fundamental mechanisms and applications of breakdown behavior at microscale. Over the last two decades, numerous studies have employed novel experimental and diagnostic techniques to examine electrical breakdown across micro/nano gaps, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Meanwhile, particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) simulations and analytical calculations play important roles in understanding more specific parameters (e.g., electron density and electric field distributions) and the underlying physics (field emission, thermionic emission, space-charge limited current, and quantum effects). Moreover, the influence of operating conditions, such as electrode materials, electrode structures, gas or vacuum environment, and applied voltage, on electrical breakdown across micro/nano gaps still requires intensive study by experiment, simulation, and theory. More recent research has proposed a new algorithm combining electrodynamics and molecular dynamics, and revealed the atomic-scale deformation on the surface of nanotip electrodes during a high electric field, which requires experimental verification. Furthermore, the discharge plasma generated inside microgaps or nanogaps, as well as the microplasma jet, are important for practical applications, including medicine and combustion. Therefore, characterizing and understanding the fundamental properties of microplasmas for various pressures, working gases, and gas flow rates are essential, as are the possible applications in multiple areas, including field emission devices, biology, medicine, materials modification, and aerospace.
Hence, the aim of this research topic is to present the state-of-the-art advances on the characterization, influence factors, dynamics, and physical mechanisms of electrical breakdown and discharge plasma from microscale to nanoscale and beyond, as well as the practical applications in various fields. Original research articles and review articles on experimental studies, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations are all welcomed. The Research Topic calls for submissions in a list of themes including but not limited to:
• The characterization, influences mechanism and dynamics of gas/vacuum breakdown and discharge plasma from microscale to nanoscale
• Novel diagnosis technique and advances in understanding field emission and breakdown dynamics from microscale to nanoscale
• Novel theoretical models and simulation algorithms for breakdown and discharge plasma and related phenomena at micro/nanoscale
• Practical applications of microplasmas, microplasma jets, nanogap vacuum field emission, etc.
