Conductivity Induced by Electron Bombardment in Thin Insulating Films

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Abstract
When thin films of insulating material are bombarded by high velocity electron beams that can penetrate through the thickness of the film, steady currents can be obtained that are as much as 100 times that in the bombarding beam. These currents vary with the gradient across the film and are proportional to the fraction of the beam energy absorbed in the film. Typical data obtained with amorphous silica are presented, together with a description of the experimental procedures that were used.