Patent ID: 8785803

Claim:
A high voltage switch, suitable for switching voltages of the order of several hundred kilovolts comprising: a containment vessel for holding a gas under pressure; first and second electrodes housed within the containment vessel and electrically isolated therefrom; wherein the first and second electrodes are supported in a face-to-face arrangement whereby the facing surfaces of the first and second electrodes are separated by a nominal distance and the facing surface of the first electrode comprises at least one raised portion that is raised in comparison with the remainder of the facing surface, wherein the at least one raised portion of the first electrode comprises a raised annular region surrounding a center region at the center of the facing surface, wherein the center region has a diameter and is essentially flat over its entire area surrounded by the at least one raised portion, and wherein the second electrode is substantially flat over its entire area and has a diameter greater than the diameter of the center region of the first electrode.