Temperature Dependence of Dielectric Breakdown of Potassium Chloride Crystals under dc and Pulse Voltages

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The dielectric breakdown strength of a KCl single crystal in the temperature range 4.2°–425°K and of a mixed crystal (75/25 mole % KCl‐RbCl) between 77° and 375°K was measured with dc voltage and with pulses of 1‐ and 10‐μsec risetime. The dc strength lies below the pulse strength over the entire temperature range. Pulse and dc strengths gradually rise from 4° to 77°K. The temperature characteristic of the dc breakdown strength traverses a maximum that vanishes completely for 1‐μsec risetime. The dc strength for the mixed crystal lies above that of pure KCl at low temperature and drops more sharply in the high temperature range. Von Hippel's and Fröhlich's breakdown criteria are re‐examined. The former is formulated quantitatively and its necessity demonstrated within the framework of the ``one‐electron'' intrinsic breakdown theory. The experimental results are in substantial agreement with theoretical values, based on von Hippel's criterion and Callen's calculation.

This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit: