Mechanism of crack propagation in chemical treatment process of microchannel plate

Abstract

Crack in microchannel plate (MCP) seriously reduces the mechanical and electrical properties of MCP. The mechanism of crack propagation in the chemical treatment process was revealed by studying the changes of crack morphology in acid-alkali etching and hydrogen reduction. The results show that during the acid-alkali etching process, the cracks on the channel material is dissolved by the dilute HNO3 and the cracks on the channel wall expands gradually under the etching of the NaOH solution. During the reduction process, cracks do not change significantly at the stage of heating. While at the stage of reaction with H2，the cracks are more easily expanded. The length of cracks does not change significantly after reduction. However, the surface near the cracks warps and the depth of cracks increases.