Patent ID: 9341610
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: F02P,G01N,G01R,H01J,H05H

Claim Text:
1. A method of generating a controlled electrical arc in a component test system, comprising: applying an electrode voltage across an electrode gap delimited by a first electrode tip and a second electrode tip, wherein the electrode voltage is about 0-300 V less than a breakdown voltage of a medium spanning the electrode gap; storing stored energy in a capacitor to be discharged across the electrode gap; and triggering an arc with an arc energy across the electrode gap, wherein the triggering includes illuminating the first electrode tip with UV light to emit electrons from the first electrode tip and to trigger the arc with the electrons, wherein the UV light has a photon energy that is greater than or equal to a work function of the first electrode tip, and wherein the arc energy is substantially the same as the stored energy.