Effect of surface conditions on the breakdown strength of various dielectric interfaces

Results of this study have shown that the breakdown strength greatly depends on the type of dielectrics forming an interface as well as their surface conditions. Some greases perform much better than others in maintaining the dielectric integrity of the interface; this is so despite the change in substrate materials, and the sliding as well as the sanding in assemblage. On the contrary, the high-K layer material tested is not effective in controlling the interface performance; it produces little improvement on the dielectric strength of an interface, however it does reduce significantly the dispersion of the breakdown voltage. An interface with a high-K layer is both affected by the substrate material and the sanding.