Presentation
Charge Distributions in Electron Beam Irradiated PTFE
Student Research Symposium
(2019)
Abstract
Charge deposited in a dielectric material via electron irradiation from a high-energy electron gun
has been measured with pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) methods and is compared to charge
distributions and transport predicted by simulation codes. In this study, charge is injected into a
thin (few hundred micron thick) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sample. The electron deposition
profile as a function of depth was modeled. Electron beam energies of up to 80 keV were used to
inject charge into the sample. PEA measurements nondestructively probe internal charge
distributions. This is achieved by applying a voltage pulse across the charged dielectric material.
The sample is placed between two electrodes in a parallel plate capacitor configuration. The pulsed
electric field interacts with the embedded charge, creating an acoustic pressure wave that is
detected by a piezoelectric sensor. Determining the spatial distribution and evolution of embedded
charge in thin dielectric materials has important applications in high-voltage DC power cable
insulation, high-power electronic device, semiconductor devices, high-energy and plasma physics
apparatus, and spacecraft industries. This is relevant particularly to spacecraft charging as PTFE
is a common spacecraft material and charge is commonly injected via incident electrons from the
space plasma environment.
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring 2019
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Comments
Awarded "Best Graduate Student Poster in College of Science".
Citation Information
“Charge Distributions in Electron Beam Irradiated PTFE,” Zachary Gibson, JR Dennison, Lee Pearson, Erick Griffiths, Anthony Pearson, Utah State University Student Research Symposium, Logan, UT, April 2019