INFLUENCE OF THE MOLECULAR-CONFORMATION ON THE CHARGE-TRANSPORT OF IRRADIATED P(VDF TRFE) COPOLYMERS/

In this letter we show that upon irradiation a poly(vinylidene fluorid e)-trifluorethylene copolymer exhibits a molecular-dependent radiation -induced conductivity. It was observed that at room temperature, under which P(VDF/TrFE) is ferroelectric and possesses a transplanar confor mation, the carrier recombination is negligible. Above the Curie tempe rature (TGTG' conformation), the radiation-induced conductivity (RIG) is three orders of magnitude higher, and recombination becomes an impo rtant process as the trapping time is considerably reduced. The experi mental results were analyzed using a modified multiple-trapping model usually applied to disordered materials. Important charge transport pa rameters were determined for the P(VDF/TrFE) copolymer for both ferro- and paraelectric phases. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.