Propagation observation of creepage discharge using multi-array coaxial probe

The clarification of the discharge phenomenon in micro-gap is strongly required in a wide range of application fields such as surface processing technology, MEMS, actuators, and thin film sensors. An optical measurement using a high-speed camera is suitable for observing the occurrence and development of the discharge. It is possible to find the discharge characteristics such as the shape, propagation velocity and so on. However, in order to discuss the insulation performance, the charge amount of the discharge, in other words, the electric field is important. Although the emission intensity caused by the discharge has a correlation with the electric field, it is difficult to evaluate the field quantitatively by an optical measurement only. In this research, a prototype for a creepage discharge measurement system using a multi-array coaxial probe was developed. The propagation characteristics of the creepage discharge was evaluated in the millimeter gap, and the feasibility of the measurement technique was shown.