Metal-wire-embedded alumina insulating material using micro- and nanoscale 3D printing for surface flashover mitigation in a vacuum

A micro- and nanoscale 3D printing technique is applied to fabricate a functional insulating material that mitigates surface discharge in a vacuum based on microscopic electron multipactor suppression. The proposed alumina ceramic insulator design consists of surface-embedded thin metal wires that introduce a local gradient of secondary electron emission (SEE) yield, such that the trajectories of multipactor electrons are distorted by accumulated negative surface charge and the SEE avalanche across the insulator surface becomes intermittent. Considerable increases of surface flashover threshold and surface charging reduction are verified by the experiment. Also, additional efforts are made to determine the optimal size and spatial distribution of the metal wire. A convex-shape flashover voltage trace is observed when increasing the width of the wire, suggesting a trade-off between the multipactor mitigation and the insulator strength. The wire's position between the adjacent cathode triple junction and the middle of the insulator is proved to be favorable for flashover mitigation. The physical details of surface flashover mitigation by the proposed insulator design are revealed by an ab initio particle-in-cell simulation code, corroborating the experiment from a microscopic aspect.