SPONTANEOUS CURRENT EMISSION IN METAL-FERROCENE-DOPED ETHYL CELLULOSE-METAL SYSTEMS

Spontaneous current emission (SCE) has been studied in sandwiched diff erent electrode configurations [metal(1)-undoped/doped ethyl cellulose (EC)-metal (1)/(2)] as a function of heating rate, film thickness and dopant concentration in the temperature range 40-200-degrees-C. The m agnitude and direction of current depend on the combination of electro de metals. SCE thermograms for the Al-undoped/doped EC-Al system exhib it two well resolved transitions at 110 and 160-degrees-C in opposite directions to each other. The phenomena related to these transitions a re explained in terms of creation of field at the interfaces and field produced in the bulk of the material. No negative direction transitio n was observed for electrode systems like Ag-Ag, Pb-Pb, Sn-Sn and Au-A u except for a shoulder of a peak around 100-degrees-C. When dissimila r electrode systems (i.e. Al-undoped/doped EC-Ag/Pb/Sn) are used, the current rises and then saturates beyond around 160-degrees-C.