Modeling and Simulation of Electrostatic Adhesion Force in Concentric-Ring Electrode Structures of Multilayer Dielectrics

Abstract

Recently, electrostatic adhesion force (EAF) has gained considerable interest for handling dielectric materials. EAF arises from the non-uniform electrical field generated between electrostatic adhesive with special electrode patterns and materials after alternative polarity potentials are applied to the electrodes. In this paper, a theoretical analytical model was derived from electrostatic adhesion fields of concentric-ring electrode (CRE) structures in cylindrical coordinates on multilayer dielectrics. Because polarization on different mediums is complex, the field was divided into four layers to receive corresponding boundaries. With respect to the reproducibility of the CRE structure along the radial direction, the field was further divided into rectangular section shapes according to the Neumann boundary conditions. The surface roughness of the dielectric material, amplitude of the applied voltages, and properties of the different dielectric layers were also accounted for in the modeling, because they have a remarkable effect on the adhesion field. Based on this model, EAF was also calculated by the Maxwell stress tensor. Several critical factors influencing the EAF were analyzed through comparison of the finite element method simulation with theoretical calculations. The results were in good agreement with each method.