High-field electrical conduction in thin films of polyethylene

Abstract

The voltage-current characteristics of thin film metal-polyethylene-copper structures in which copper is used as a top electrode are studied. The samples made with thermally vacuum-evaporated polyethylene and having a top electrode of copper show space-charge-limited conduction, whereas the samples made from blown polyethylene show the Poole-Frenkel type of high-field conduction. The observed space-charge-limited conduction is belived to be due to the copper atoms diffused into the polyethylene during the deposition process. Copyright © 1987 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA