The effect of applied voltage V on local thickness fluctuations (LTF) in lipid bilayers is examined using the continuum model and accounting for non-locality of membrane elastic moduli. Ponderomotive forces, calculated from the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation, reduce LTF energy quadratically with V . Combined with a significant increase in the apex field gradient and perturbation of lipid...

Nowadays, the most widely used insulating materials in high voltage equipment such as cables are polymeric insulations due to the numerous merits they possess with regards to electrical performance compared to paper insulations. However, electrical treeing, one of the dielectric pre-breakdown phenomena, has been considered as a major contribution to the failure of insulating polymeric materials...

It is well-known that SiC wafer quality deficiencies are delaying the realization of outstandingly superior 4H-SiC power electronics. While efforts to date have centered on eradicating micropipes (i.e., hollow core super-screw dislocations with Burgers vector > 2c), 4H-SiC wafers and epilayers also contain elementary screw dislocations (i.e., Burgers vector = 1c with no hollow core) in densitie...

In order to understand the details of high-field breakdown in microstructures that are vacuum packaged, a series of experiments are used to determine characteristics of microdischarges. The results support a reinterpretation of conventional assumptions based upon large scale discharges. When planar microelectrodes are used, Paschen’s curve is not applicable in the traditional sense: the breakdo...

During long-term operation of the new FAIR facility, parts of the superconducting magnets will be exposed to high radiation levels, cryogenic temperatures, and dynamic mechanical loads (Lorentzian forces during pulsed operation). Depending on the position of the different components, the radiation due to beam losses consists of a cocktail of gammas, neutrons, protons, and heavier particles [1]....

Numerous techniques have been used to improve the voltage handling capability of high voltage power devices with the aim to obtain the breakdown of a plane junction. In this work, a new concept of low cost, low surface and high efficiency junction termination for power devices is presented and experimentally validated. This termination is based on a large and deep trench filled by BCB (BenzoCyc...

This article presents some design guidelines for the RCD snubber of flyback converters. When the MOSFET turns off, a high-voltage spike occurs on the drain pin because of a resonance between the leakage inductor (Llk) of the main transformer and the output capacitor (COSS) of the MOSFET. The excessive voltage on the drain pin may lead to an avalanche breakdown and eventually damage the MOSFET. ...

This article presents some design guidelines for the RCD snubber of flyback converters. When the MOSFET turns off, a high-voltage spike occurs on the drain pin because of a resonance between the leakage inductor (Llk) of the main transformer and the output capacitor (COSS) of the MOSFET. The excessive voltage on the drain pin may lead to an avalanche breakdown and eventually damage the MOSFET. ...

The bipolar nature of ESD pulses such as MM introduces failure mechanisms that cannot be reproduced by TLP/HBM. A lowered breakdown voltage due to dynamic avalanching was observed. The key issue is that carriers injected during the first swing remain in the device after the current switches polarity. A case study for high-voltage diodes is presented.