Poole-Frenkel conduction in high alternating electric fields

Measurements are reported for the first time of electronic conduction in silicon monoxide films under alternating fields of high amplitude-sufficiently high to cause a significant lowering of the coulombic barriers at donor-like sites in the material. This ac Poole-Frenkel effect has an entirely different dependence on temperature and frequency from the familiar dc effect and offers insight into the dynamics of relaxation of carrier energy in hopping motion at high electric fields. The interpretation of these results is given in the light of the theoretical model of a modified Poole-Frenkel effect, involving hopping motion of carriers in localized traps between emission and capture at donor sites.