Interface Charge Characteristics in Polymer Dielectric Contacts: Analysis of Acoustic Approach and Probe Microscopy

Abstract

Abstract Interfaces are essential components in polymer contact systems, which widely exist in electronic devices and power equipment. Interface charge originating from the mismatch of the electronic structure in interfaces is one of the key issues to modify the device performance due to its multifunctional migration and accumulation behaviors. Hence, the detection and analysis of the interface charge characteristics are of great importance to deeply understand the polymer contact system in various devices. This paper presents an overview of recent research progress in the interface charge properties at dielectric interfaces. Based on the theoretical analysis of the MWS polarization and electronic localized states, two typical approaches of discussing the interface charges from micrometer to millimeter are mainly studied. Acoustic method is prevalent in detecting the space charge in various dielectrics. However, owing to its limited resolution (several µm), it is difficult to clarify the charge distributions at the interface with a micro‐scale. Probe microscopy presents a promising technique due to its flexible surface potential detection at a submicron scale. The challenges and prospects of acoustic and probe microscopy methods are discussed in this paper. The advanced techniques of interface charges can promote the development of new energy electronic devices.

Keywords

• acoustic method
• charge transport
• interface charge
• interfacial traps and polarization
• nanocomposites
• polymer dielectric