Electrical Properties of Polymers, Ceramics, Dielectrics, and Amorphous Materials

Abstract

Materials which are electrical (and thermal) insulators are of great technical importance and are, therefore, used in large quantities in the electronics industry, e.g., as handles for a variety of tools, as coatings for wires, or as casings for electrical equipment. Most polymeric materials have the required insulating properties and have been used for decades for this purpose. It came, therefore, as a surprise when it was discovered in the late 1970's that some polymers and organic substances may have electrical properties which resemble those of conventional semiconductors, metals, or even superconductors. We shall focus our attention mainly on these materials. This does not imply that the predominance of applications of polymers is in the conductor field. Quite the contrary is true. Nevertheless, conducting polymers (also called synthetic metals) steadily gain ground compared to insulating polymers.