Transport of injected charge through an insulator with a distribution of trapping capture and release times

The transport of injected charge of one polarity through an insulator containing a uniform spatial distribution of carrier traps has been computer-simulated. The capture/release-time distributions for trapping are both variable. The injection mechanisms are (a) saturated space-charge-limited-current (SCLC), (b) diffusion-limited thermionic injection, and (c) as in (b) but without the diffusion limitation. Recent experimental data for polyethylene showing j∝Eⁿ, where j is the steady-state current density, E is the applied field, and n=4-6, are shown to be inconsistent with a SCLC regime and a distribution of trapping/release-times