Variation of Permittivity and Dark Conductivity of Polyimide and FR4 With Electron Dose by Experiments

The internal charging effect may lead to electrostatic discharges (ESDs) for Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Middle Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. This is due to the high-energy electrons that deposit in the dielectrics of satellites. The properties of the dielectrics such as permittivity and dark conductivity dominate this effect. This may contribute to the ESD risk of long-lifetime satellites if these properties change with the increase of electron dose. Two general materials, Polyimide (PI) and FR4 Epoxy Glass Cloth (FR4), were chosen as samples to study by experiments with different doses. The results show that the permittivity of PI and FR4 decreased as the dose increased while the dark conductivity increased. Numerical simulation evaluates the electron dose and the ESD risk of dielectrics under the electron environment of a specific MEO electron spectrum. The results show that the decrease of permittivity and the increase of dark conductivity will shorten the time constant of internal charging. The quicker build-up of electric field will increase the ESD risk if it exceeds the breakdown threshold.