A new model for surface potential decay of corona-charged polymers

Abstract

Surface potential measurement provides a useful tool to gauge the electrical properties of materials. It has been observed that the potential of a sample with an initial high surface potential decays faster than that with an initial lower surface potential, known as the cross-over phenomenon. The phenomenon was found a few decades ago and various theories and models have been proposed. A common feature of the existing models is based on single charge carrier injection from a corona-charged surface. With our recent space charge measurement results on corona-charged samples, double injection from both electrodes has been verified. Based on this new fact, a new model based on bipolar charge injection is proposed and initial numerical simulation reveals that the surface potential cross-over phenomenon can occur under bipolar charge injection. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.