Electrical Properties Measurement of SMD Electrodes for Surface Decontamination

This paper deals with the measurement of electrical properties of electrodes for Surface Micro-Discharge (SMD) generation. An important component of the electrode is the dielectric, which must have very good insulating properties to prevent its breakdown when high voltage is applied to the electrodes. If the dielectric breakdown occurs, the sudden increase in current could destroy a high voltage source. An excessively high value of the DC current through the dielectric could also have a negative effect on the generation of the discharge. Therefore, it is necessary to know not only the value of the breakdown voltage of the dielectric, but also the dependence of the dielectric resistance on the applied voltage. In this paper, the measurement of the dependence of the DC current through the dielectric is described.