The Time Delay in Conduction and Breakdown Processes in Amorphous Solids

Abstract

A method of estimating the time delay in changes of conductivity and in the breakdown process for amorphous materials, based on H Frohlich's high-temperature breakdown theory, is given. Numerical values of these times are obtained for the case of soda-lime glass, and it is estimated that the time constant of the conduction process is between 10-4 and 10-5 second, while that of the breakdown process may be considerably shorter. Experimental data obtained by Turner and Lewis indicate that the estimate for the conductivity process is of the correct order.