Resilient, Nanostructured, High-Current, and Low-Voltage Neutralizers for Electric Propulsion of Small Spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit

13th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications

物理学;能源学

Fomani, A.A.^1 ; Akinwande, A.I.^1 ; Velásquez-García, L.F.^1

Microsystems Technology Laboratories, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, United States^1

关键词: Continuous emission;    Current emissions;    Electric propulsion systems;    Low earth orbit(LEO);    Low vacuum environment;    Oxygen partial pressure;    Robust processing;    Small spacecrafts;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/476/1/012014/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/476/1/012014

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

We report propellantless neutralizers resilient to oxygen and low-vacuum environments based on arrays of Pt-coated, self-aligned, and gated Si field emitters. These devices emit currents in excess of 1 mA at bias voltages of less than 120 V, adequate for neutralizing the plume of a small spacecraft's electric propulsion system. The reported devices produce similar currents at fivefold less voltage and emitting area than state-of-the-art CNT neutralizers. Long-term (3 hours) continuous emission in a 1 μTorr oxygen partial pressure environment was demonstrated, confirming the compatibility of these neutralizers with low Earth orbit (LEO) conditions. A robust processing sequence was developed that could be employed for high-yield fabrication of large-area field emission neutralizers with active areas larger than 10 cm2for current emission higher than 100 mA.