Electrical breakdown in ionic crystals exposed to nanosecond pulses

Electrical breakdown in alkali halide crystals subjected to ∼10-ns-long electrical pulses is studied. Two, primary and basic, channels of the anodic discharge are noted. In the presence of the primary channel, the other arises at static breakdown voltages. Otherwise, the basic channel forms at voltages exceeding the static breakdown voltage by more than four times. The basic channel is assumed to form via a cascade of Auger transitions. The generation and migration of linear defects seem to play a significant role in the basic channel formation. The enhancement of the pulsed dielectric strength of the crystals is related to conditions of current passage through the metal-insulator interface.