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Lecture

Comsol: Parallel plate capacitor

In course

EE-536: Physical models for micro and nanosystems

Students will learn simple theoretical models, the theoretical background of finite element modeling as well as its application to modeling charge, mass and heat transport in electronic, fluidic and e

Description

This lecture covers the setup of a parallel plate capacitor using Comsol on a virtual machine, including defining material properties and assigning materials. The instructor guides students through the process of modeling electrostatics and calculating electric potential. The lecture emphasizes the importance of clear project ideas and group collaboration. Students are encouraged to work on finite element modeling projects related to real devices.

Instructor

Andras Kis

2015− Associate professor, EPFL, STI, Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEL) and Materials Science and Engineering Institute (IMX) 2008−2015 Tenure-track assistant professor at EPFL, School of Engineering (STI), Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEL) 2004−2007 Postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, Physics Department in the group of Prof. Zettl 2000−2003 PhD student at EPFL, Faculty of basic sciences, Institute of physics of complex matter, group of Prof. Forró 1994−1999 MS, Physics, University of Zagreb, Croatia 1994 Baccalaureate, MIOC (Mathematical and Informational Educational Center) high school

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Electromagnetism: Electrostatics

Related concepts (32)

Electric potential

The electric potential (also called the electric field potential, potential drop, the electrostatic potential) is defined as the amount of work energy needed per unit of electric charge to move this charge from a reference point to the specific point in an electric field. More precisely, it is the energy per unit charge for a test charge that is so small that the disturbance of the field under consideration is negligible.

Electrostatics

Electrostatics is a branch of physics that studies slow-moving or stationary electric charges. Since classical times, it has been known that some materials, such as amber, attract lightweight particles after rubbing. The Greek word for amber, ἤλεκτρον (), was thus the source of the word 'electricity'. Electrostatic phenomena arise from the forces that electric charges exert on each other. Such forces are described by Coulomb's law.

Material

Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geological origin or biological function. Materials science is the study of materials, their properties and their applications. Raw materials can be processed in different ways to influence their properties, by purification, shaping or the introduction of other materials.

Materials science

Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries. The intellectual origins of materials science stem from the Age of Enlightenment, when researchers began to use analytical thinking from chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand ancient, phenomenological observations in metallurgy and mineralogy. Materials science still incorporates elements of physics, chemistry, and engineering.

Electrostatic generator

An electrostatic generator, or electrostatic machine, is an electrical generator that produces static electricity, or electricity at high voltage and low continuous current. The knowledge of static electricity dates back to the earliest civilizations, but for millennia it remained merely an interesting and mystifying phenomenon, without a theory to explain its behavior and often confused with magnetism.

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