Behavior of charge carriers near metal/polymer interface

Insulating polymers and their composites have been widely used in various electric apparatus or cables. Recently, the effects of interfaces (metal/insulator or insulator/insulator interfaces) on electrical insulation have attracted much attention. However, interfacial phenomena in actual insulation systems and their physical backgrounds are not well understood yet. In this paper, the behaviour of charge carriers near the metal/polymer interface and its effects on conduction and breakdown phenomena are discussed. The metal/polymer interface strongly affects carrier injection, space charge formation and breakdown phenomena. Based on their experimental results, the physical backgrounds of the interfacial phenomena are explained.