New theory of electrical discharge and breakdown in low-mobility condensed insulators

Abstract

Electrical discharge and breakdown in low-mobility insulating liquids and solids involve the creation of low-density domains or channels in the bulk by carrier injection from electrical contacts and subsequently dissociative trapping and recombination as a necessary prelude. Internal discharge such as electrical treeing and breakdown are initiated by impact ionization within such low-density domains or channels and then followed by an indefinite increase in carrier multiplication in the conduction level that extends the channels and finally destroys the material inside them.