High-resolution pulsed electro-acoustic (HR PEA) measurement of space charge in outer space dielectric materials

Abstract

The pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method is used for thirty years for measuring space charge distribution in dielectric materials [1]. However, this method was limited to at least 150 μm thick films characterization. For some applications, in spatial industry for example, 50 μm thick outer space dielectric materials must be analyzed. A high resolution optimized measurement system is discussed in this paper in order to expand performances and ranges of this method. To design it, a new pulse generator has been conceived and an optimized acoustic detector, key of the PEA method, has been realized and validated. The optimized High-Resolution PEA apparatus allows to obtain calibration signal with 50 μm thick dielectric materials that can be used to obtain the characteristic transfer function of the PEA system, essential step to use the data processing to find space charge distribution to characterize thinner dielectric materials.