Surface-potential decay of biased-probe contact-charged amorphous polymer films

We have investigated the decay of scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and electric force microscopy (EFM) signals from biased-probe contact-charged films of three different amorphous polymers representing wide-ranging water absorption capabilities. The surface-potential decay (SPD) has been measured by repeatedly scanning the charge pattern as a function of dissipation time t while varying the relative humidity (RH), the film thickness d, the temperature, the charging voltage, and the load on the scanning probe. Whereas increases in KPFM and EFM peak widths are appreciable only in the long run, the decay in the peak heights is rapid at the beginning and then strongly slowing down with time. Peak heights can be approximated for t < 1 hour by power laws of negative exponents (-beta), with 0 < beta < 0.5 in dry conditions. beta increases for thinner films and when scanning with higher probe loads. Raising the humidity or heating to temperatures well below the glass transition temperature of the polymer considerably increases beta, with much stronger impacts for polymers with a higher water uptake capability. From the findings, we conclude that ionic charge carriers are trapped by the charge injection process in the volume of the polymers at low depths. A main contribution to SPD is by drift of the ions in their own space-charge field, mutually repelling each other and being attracted by their mirror charge in the grounded back electrode. Lateral drifts for small t are not resolved, increases in peak widths for t >> 1 h are predominantly due to increased probe-charge carrier distances. We interpret the power law approximation in terms of dispersive transport theory. We approximate trap-controlled apparent mobilities mu from isothermal KPFM peak height data, taken within a few minutes after charging, by a linear and a hyperbolic SPD model. Both models yield mu approximate to 10(-14) cm(2)/(Vs) for thin films (d approximate to 50 nm) in dry conditions. For mobilities derived similarly from isohumid measurements series, we find an exponential increase as a function of RH%. We furthermore suggest that two more mechanisms contributing to SPD are: first, by potential shielding of charge carriers by water dipoles, and second, in an indirect manner, by diffusion of injected water. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3309763]