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Updated: Nov 25, 2025

AC Electrokinetic Phenomena Generated by Microelectrode Structures
Published on: July 28, 2008
Features of Electrostatic Fields and Their Force Action When Using Micro- and Nanosized Inter-Electrode Gaps
Nikolai Pshchelko1, Ekaterina Vodkailo2
1Department of Physics, Military Telecommunication Academy named after Budienny S. M., 194064 Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Abstract:
The present work is devoted to assessing the influence of discreteness of electric charge distribution in the double electric layer on the characteristics of the electric fields and their force action in capacitor structures with small interelectrode gaps. Due to the fact that modern technologies often use submicron-sized interelectrode gaps, it is no longer possible to consider the electrodes uniformly charged because of the discreteness of the electric charge. The corresponding development of a mathematical and physical model for the study of a non-uniform electric field is suggested. Numerical calculations are carried out, expressions, criteria, and results that are convenient for practical evaluations are obtained. The physical and mathematical model for force characteristics of a non-uniform electric field is developed. With a sufficiently small size of the interelectrode gap, the integral force effect of discretely distributed charges can be significantly higher than with a uniform distribution of the same charge. At reasonable surface charge densities, these phenomena are usually observed at interelectrode gaps less than tenths of a micrometer.
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