Electric-field-induced formation of a conducting channel in a dielectric polymer film

The composition of the products of destruction of a poly(styrene) film at the edge and inside the electric breakdown channel has been investigated using Raman spectroscopy. It has been demonstrated that, apart from the compounds with double carbon-carbon bonds, the breakdown initiates the formation of aromatic cycles having two to six aromatic rings, graphite nanocrystals with a linear size not above ten aromatic rings, and, finally, graphite single crystals. This suggests that the temperature in the breakdown channel exceeds 1800 K and that the current density in it is ∼10⁶ A/cm².