Some DC and AC Properties of Copper-Loaded Polypropylene Films

Abstract

Thin film Cu-polypropylene-Cu sandwich structures are prepared by thermal vacuum deposition of these materials onto glass substrates. Polypropylene in some of the samples is also loaded with Cu of varying amount. Space-charge-limited current conduction is observed in their dc characteristics and the activation energy at constant applied dc voltage shows some decrease in the Cu-loaded samples. The ac behaviour of the samples varies with the copper content and with the spatial distribution of the copper atoms in the polypropylene. The observed dispersion in capacitance and the dielectric loss are explained as being due to the metal-dielectric interface and the presence of the ordered (copper grains) and disordered (polymeric) regions in the dielectric material. Copyright © 1987 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA