Effects of low pressure on tracking failure of printed circuit boards

In general, printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in power devices and system operation in low pressure environments are more susceptible to damage from surface discharges. Additionally, repetitive operation of power systems is an important factor leading to tracking failure. Whether the tracking phenomenon at low pressures is different from that at atmospheric pressure needs better understanding to ensure reliable applications. In this paper, studies of tracking failure of PCBs in a low-pressure chamber, are reported for an electrode configuration comprising a pointed end of track close to the side of a track. Test samples were made by printing these tracks onto a glass-cloth epoxy-resin laminate. Experiments were carried out using repetitive unipolar pulses to simulate voltage surges. The ambient pressure was reduced from atmospheric pressure to a very low pressure (0.6 kPa). The time to failure and the cumulative charge passing before failure were recorded as function of the pressure, temperature, pulse interval and insulation distance. The results obtained indicate that the low pressure enhances the breakdown endurance of PCBs and the breakdown phenomena at low pressure are different from those at atmospheric pressure. With the decrease of the pressure, the cumulative charge is increased but the tracking failure is delayed. At low pressures, increasing temperature has little effect on the cumulative charge, but has significant influence on the time to tracking failure.