Space charge characterization on different insulating materials by coupling the Thermal Step Method and Thermo-Stimulated Currents

The Thermal Step Method (TSM)-with its flexibility and its high signal noise ratio-permits one to give the space charge distribution in solid insulating materials whatever the form: thin films, slabs, or thick structures such as high voltage cable insulation. To separate the different space charge contributions, both the TSM and Thermo-Stimulated Currents (TSC) are used. This coupling allows one to characterize insulating polymers, ceramics and oxides by varying the space charge physical parameters. To illustrate this aspect, we give some examples on PMMA and SiO₂ samples