CHARGE TRAPPING INDUCED ELECTROMECHANICAL ENERGY

The electromechanical energy stored in a dielectric subjected to the f ield of a trapped charge is calculated by a self-consistent method, us ing a point-dipole model for the polarization. The magnitude of this e nergy is 5-10 eV per trapped charge, depending on the structure (fcc o r bcc) and the location of the charge (atomic site or intersite). It i s proposed to attribute the degradation of dielectric materials to the release of this energy after the detrapping of initially trapped char ges. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.