In this letter, we obtain a better understanding of effective field enhancement factors (β eff ) in the context of microscale gas breakdown with specific emphasis on its dependence on applied electric field. The theoretical dependence of β eff on electric field for various hemi-ellipsoidal asperities indicates that the value of β eff decreases with increasing electric field. The interpretation of experimental data using a typical one-dimensional modified Paschen law indicates a qualitatively similar electric field dependence even though the data could not be completely explained using a single effective asperity size. The values of β eff extracted from seven independent experimental datasets for microscale breakdown of argon and air are shown to be consistent and an empirical dependence on electric field is determined.

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