Pulsed Electro-Acoustic Measurements of Charging and Relaxation in Low Density Polyethylene

ORAL

Abstract

A Pulsed Electro-Acoustic (PEA) system was developed and used to study electron charge injection, transport, and relaxation in Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Measurements of the time evolution of the charge profiles using the BEI/USU PEA system are compared to predicted models and to previous studies; these are used to verify that the new system is working as expected and to characterize the system's resolution and capabilities. The measurements were made by placing 125 $\mu $m thick LDPE between two electrodes in a parallel plate configuration. Charge was injected via electrode charging for \textasciitilde 30 min with a \textasciitilde 40 MV/m applied field and then allowed to discharge with no applied field for \textasciitilde 30 min. The distribution of charge in the dielectric was measured with PEA by applying a \textasciitilde 100 MHz \textasciitilde 850 V electric pulse to displace the embedded charge, causing an acoustic pulse monitored via time-of-flight with a thin piezoelectric sensor allowing observation of charge accumulation and dissipation. Higher spatial resolution nondestructive PEA measurements of embedded charge in dielectrics offer important information for applications such as spacecraft charging, plasma deposition, accelerator physics, high voltage devices and transmission lines, supercapacitors, microelectronics, and nanodielectric materials.

Authors

  • Zachary Gibson

    Material Physics Group, Utah State University

  • Colin Roberts

    High Precision Devices, Boulder, CO, Raytheon, Tucson, AZ, Seagate Technology, Minneapolis, MN, Ball Aerospace (retired), Bloomfield, CO, New Mexico State University, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, National Security Technologies, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Colorado State Univ, Colorado College, Utah State University, Advisor, Material Physics Group, Utah State University, Box Elder Innovations, LLC, JILA and Department of Physics, CU Boulder, JILA and Department of Mathematics, CU Boulder, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA, JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado, Boulder, NIST, University of Colorado / NIST, University of Colorado/JILA, Colorado Sch of Mines, Colorado School of Mines, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, UC-Berkeley, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland, JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Harvard University and Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, USAFA, Univ of Denver, Boyce Research Initiatives and Educational Foundation, Brilliant Sky Observatory, San Diego Mesa College, Utah Valley University, University of Colorado Boulder, Brigham Young Univ - Provo, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Sherbrooke, NIST Boulder, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (United States), Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Alabama, University of Wyoming, University of Guelph, University of Guelph, Canadian Light source

  • Colin Roberts

    High Precision Devices, Boulder, CO, Raytheon, Tucson, AZ, Seagate Technology, Minneapolis, MN, Ball Aerospace (retired), Bloomfield, CO, New Mexico State University, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, National Security Technologies, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Colorado State Univ, Colorado College, Utah State University, Advisor, Material Physics Group, Utah State University, Box Elder Innovations, LLC, JILA and Department of Physics, CU Boulder, JILA and Department of Mathematics, CU Boulder, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA, JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado, Boulder, NIST, University of Colorado / NIST, University of Colorado/JILA, Colorado Sch of Mines, Colorado School of Mines, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, UC-Berkeley, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland, JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Harvard University and Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, USAFA, Univ of Denver, Boyce Research Initiatives and Educational Foundation, Brilliant Sky Observatory, San Diego Mesa College, Utah Valley University, University of Colorado Boulder, Brigham Young Univ - Provo, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Sherbrooke, NIST Boulder, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (United States), Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Alabama, University of Wyoming, University of Guelph, University of Guelph, Canadian Light source

  • Colin Roberts

    High Precision Devices, Boulder, CO, Raytheon, Tucson, AZ, Seagate Technology, Minneapolis, MN, Ball Aerospace (retired), Bloomfield, CO, New Mexico State University, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, National Security Technologies, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Colorado State Univ, Colorado College, Utah State University, Advisor, Material Physics Group, Utah State University, Box Elder Innovations, LLC, JILA and Department of Physics, CU Boulder, JILA and Department of Mathematics, CU Boulder, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA, JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado, Boulder, NIST, University of Colorado / NIST, University of Colorado/JILA, Colorado Sch of Mines, Colorado School of Mines, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, UC-Berkeley, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland, JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Harvard University and Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, USAFA, Univ of Denver, Boyce Research Initiatives and Educational Foundation, Brilliant Sky Observatory, San Diego Mesa College, Utah Valley University, University of Colorado Boulder, Brigham Young Univ - Provo, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Sherbrooke, NIST Boulder, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (United States), Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Alabama, University of Wyoming, University of Guelph, University of Guelph, Canadian Light source

  • Colin Roberts

    High Precision Devices, Boulder, CO, Raytheon, Tucson, AZ, Seagate Technology, Minneapolis, MN, Ball Aerospace (retired), Bloomfield, CO, New Mexico State University, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, National Security Technologies, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Colorado State Univ, Colorado College, Utah State University, Advisor, Material Physics Group, Utah State University, Box Elder Innovations, LLC, JILA and Department of Physics, CU Boulder, JILA and Department of Mathematics, CU Boulder, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA, JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado, Boulder, NIST, University of Colorado / NIST, University of Colorado/JILA, Colorado Sch of Mines, Colorado School of Mines, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, UC-Berkeley, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland, JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, Harvard University and Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, USAFA, Univ of Denver, Boyce Research Initiatives and Educational Foundation, Brilliant Sky Observatory, San Diego Mesa College, Utah Valley University, University of Colorado Boulder, Brigham Young Univ - Provo, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Sherbrooke, NIST Boulder, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (United States), Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co 80525, JILA, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Alabama, University of Wyoming, University of Guelph, University of Guelph, Canadian Light source