Initial high electric field -- vacuum arc breakdown test results for additively manufactured pure copper electrodes

TL;DR

This study evaluates the vacuum arc breakdown performance of additively manufactured pure copper electrodes, demonstrating their ability to withstand high electric fields with low breakdown rates, relevant for accelerator applications.

Contribution

It provides initial reference data on the high electric field performance of AM-produced pure copper electrodes in vacuum conditions.

Findings

AM electrodes can sustain high electric fields with low breakdown rates

Initial performance data for AM copper electrodes in vacuum arc tests

AM electrodes show promise for accelerator component applications

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is already well-established for various manufacturing applications, providing many benefits such as design freedom, novel and complex cooling designs for the parts and different performance improvements, as well as significantly reducing the production time. With the mentioned characteristics, AM is also being considered as a technology for manufacturing a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) prototype. For this application, an important parameter is the voltage holding capability of the surfaces. Furthermore, the voltage holding capability of pure copper surfaces manufactured by AM is of interest for the accelerator community at large for prospective future developments. To characterize these properties, a series of high electric field tests were performed on pure copper electrodes produced by AM, using the CERN pulsed high-voltage DC system. The tests were carried out with AM produced electrodes with large surface roughness. During the testing process, a high vacuum was maintained. The electric breakdown rate was also monitored to ensure not to exceed the breakdown limit of 10 $^{-5}$ breakdowns per pulse. The achieved results provide the first, initial reference values for the performance of AM built pure copper electrodes for vacuum arc breakdown testing. Initial results prove the capability of AM electrodes to hold a high electric field, while having low breakdown rates. These are crucial results for further AM technology usage for different AM pure-copper accelerator components