Irradiation Effects in Borosilicate Glass

Abstract

Irradiation of thick samples of borosilicate glass with high-energy electrons introduces space charges into the dielectric, the decay of which is extremely slow at room temperature. The charged dielectric shows a behavior similar to that of an electret; charges are induced on adjacent conductors and short-circuit discharge currents are observed during heating. The nature of the charges of the dielectric, annealing effects, and discharge mechanism were investigated. It is shown that the dielectric contains charges of two types: a negative charge constituted by arrested irradiation electrons and a positive compensation charge.