Interlayer tunneling conduction

The percolation theory [5, 20-23] is the most adequate for the description of an abstract model of the CPCM. As the majority of polymers are typical insulators, the probability of transfer of current carriers between two conductive points isolated from each other by an interlayer of the polymer decreases exponentially with the growth of gap lg (the tunnel effect) and is other than zero only for lg < 100 A. For this reason, the transfer of current through macroscopic (compared to the sample size) distances can be effected via the contacting-particles chains. Calculation of the probability of the formation of such chains is the subject of the percolation theory. It should be noted that the concept of contact is not just for the particles in direct contact with each other but, apparently, implies convergence of the particles to distances at which the probability of transfer of current carriers between them becomes other than zero. 

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