Theory of High Field Conduction in a Dielectric

Abstract

A dimensionless solution is given for continuous current flow in a solid dielectric, which undergoes electron‐induced collision ionization. A method is developed for finding the current‐voltage characteristic of the dielectric from this solution, given the emission function of the cathode and a blocking anode. The results are used to infer the thickness dependence of dielectric breakdown strength based on the model considered.