Abstract
Breakdown mechanism was studied for plasma polymer films of ethylene and those of ethylene and trifluoromethane. In order to determine carrier species which causes avalanche, high-field conduction, dielectric breakdown and photoconduction were studied. It was found that all these characteristics depend on the anode metal. When the anode is aluminum, the barrier height for tunneling injection obtained from the Fowler-Nordheim relation is higher than the gold anode. The aluminum anode also has a higher dielectric strength and a longer time-lag-to-breakdown than the gold anode.
From these results, together with the effect of the shape of illuminated electrode on photocurrent, it is considered holes are injected through tunneling from the anode by high electric stress applied and that avalanche is caused by these holes.
