Electrical Conduction in Solid Dielectrics

Electrical conduction as well as breakdown in insulating polymers has been extensively investigated for these decades by many authors in Japan. This report deals only with several recent topics because of space limitations. They are (1) per-breakdown currents, (2) interfacial phenomena, (3) effects of polymer structures and impurities and (4) behavior of ions at electrodes. The effects of collision ionization on high-field conduction and the pre-breakdown current due to the thermal breakdown are described in regard to pre-breakdown currents. Interfacial phenomena are concerned with the barrier height for electron (or hole) injection, carrier injection from the corona electrode and the behavior of carriers at polymer interfaces. The effects of chemical and physical structures of polymers and impurities upon electrical conduction have also attracted much attention recently. The electrochemical reaction and the effect of ionic space charge are concerned with behavior of ions at electrodes.