As electronic devices become increasingly smaller, devices become more susceptible to failure if they are exposed to high voltages; however, standard mathematical models to predict these thresholds fail due to the importance of electron emission.

 

Revised models demonstrate the importance of small, nanometer-sized structures, such as normal surface roughness, on electron emission, but these effects are not well characterized either experimentally or theoretically.

 

This grant will provide funding for two graduate students over the next three years to develop both mathematical models of these nanoscale effects and experiments to test the impact of different structures on an electrical breakdown.

 

The group will also test samples from industrial X-ray source developers who observe similar failures and work closely with Navy and Air Force researchers in directed energy and high power microwaves to apply the new scientific knowledge to directed energy and high power microwave systems.