Pulsed flashover across a solid dielectric in vacuum

Flashover across a solid surface in vacuum greatly restricts the insulation capability of pulsed power devices and impedes its overall performance. For more than half a century of painstaking research, there are still some ill-defined aspects that need to be studied. This paper, organized in chronological order, briefly reviews the milestones of research progress regarding surface flashover in vacuum. The main influential factors on flashover are analyzed, which are generalized into three aspects, i.e., electrode-dielectric interface, dielectric surface and external factors. The mainstream theories on flashover are discussed. In recent decades, the approach to improve surface insulation performance are summarized, including surface modification techniques, new insulating materials and new insulation structures. It is hoped that this paper will provide a guide for future related scientific research, engineering design and application.