ANSYS Tutorial: Capacitance

(GUI Method)
Todd Kaiser
Montana State University
EE505 MEMS

Capacitance Modeling Method

• Model Dielectric and Mesh
• Select nodes on surface of each conductor
• Group them into node components and
name: cond#
• The last conductor is assumed ground
• Use CMATRIX command

1
 Capacitance Matrix

C13
3
1
C23
C12

C33
C11 2

C22

4
c11 c12 c13
C = c21 c22 c23
c31 c32 c33

Example: Coax Cable – 2D

• Inner radius: 1mm a
• Outer radius: 2mm
b
• Teflon filled: εr = 2.1

C′ = =
(
2πε 2π (2.1) 8.854 ×10 −12 (F / m ) )
= 168.5 ×10 −12 (F / m )
ln
b
ln
2 × 10 −3
(m )
a 1× 10 −3 (m )

2
 Start ANSYS

Preferences > Electric

3
 Select Element
• Preprocessor > Element Type >
Add/Edit/Delete
– Add: Electrostatic: 2D Quad 121

Define Material Properties

• Preprocessor > Material Props > Material
Models > Electromagnetics > Relative
Permittivity > Constant > PERX = 2.1

4
 Model Structure
• Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Areas > Circle >
Annulus
– WP X = 0
– WP Y = 0
– Rad-1 = 0.001
– Rad-2 = 0.002

Mesh the Area

• Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh
Tool Æ Smart Size:1 > Mesh Æ
Select area > OK

5
 Select Edge Nodes
• Utility Menu > Select > Entities Æ Nodes > Exterior
• Utility Menu > Plot > Nodes

Select Inner Conductor Nodes

• Utility Menu > Select > Entities >
Nodes Æ Reselect Æ Box inner circle
of nodes

6
 Create & Name Component of
inner nodes
• Utility Menu > Select > Comp/Assembly >
Create Component > ‘Cond1’

Select Edge Nodes

• Utility Menu > Select > Everything
• Utility Menu > Select > Entities Æ Nodes > Exterior
• Utility Menu > Plot > Nodes

7
 Select Outer Conductor Nodes
• Utility Menu > Select > Entities > Nodes Æ
Reselect Æ Box both circles of nodes Æ
unpick Æ Box inner circle of nodes to select
only the outer circle of nodes

Create Component of Outer nodes

• Utility Menu > Select > Comp/Assembly >
Create Component > ‘Cond2’

8
 Calculate Capacitance Matrix
• Type in command window:
– cmatrix, 1,’cond’,2,0
• Allow the computer to continue even after
it has said solved.
• This generates the following results
window

Results
•
• ________________ CMATRIX SOLUTION SUMMARY ___________________
•
• *** Ground Capacitance Matrix ***
• Self Capacitance of conductor 1. = 0.16854E-09
• Ground capacitance matrix is stored in 3d array parameter cmatrix ( 1., 1.,1)
• *** Lumped Capacitance Matrix ***
• Self Capacitance of conductor 1. = 0.16854E-09
• Lumped capacitance matrix is stored in 3d array parameter cmatrix ( 1., 1.,2)

• Capacitance values are per unit length

• Capacitance matricies are stored in file cmatrix .txt

•
• _____________________________________________________________
•

9
To look at the potentials and fields
• Solution > Analysis Type > New Analysis
Æ Steady State

Apply Load to Inner Conductor

• Solution > Define Loads > Apply
> Electric > Boundary > Voltage
> On Lines
– Box Æ inner circle
– Constant value: 1 (volt)

10
 Apply Load to Outer Conductor
• Solution > Define Loads >
Apply > Electric > Boundary
> Voltage > On Lines
– Box Æ entire structure
– Select Unpick: Box Æ inner
circle
– Constant value: 0 (ground)

Solve
• Solution > Solve > Current LS

11
 PostProcessing
• General
PostProcessing >
Plot Results >
Contour Plot >
Nodal Solution Æ
DOF Solution >
Electric Potential

Equipotential Contours

12
 Modify Legend Scale
• Utility Menu >
Plot Controls >
Style >
Contours >
Uniform
Contours Æ
Number of
contours = 8

8 levels (defaults to 9)

13
 Move Legend & Date
• Utility Menu > Plot Controls > Style > Multilegend
Options > Contour Legend Æ right of window
• Utility Menu > Plot Controls > Style > Text > Date Æ left
of window

Contour Plot of the Electric Field

• General PostProcessing > Plot Results > Contour Plot >
Nodal Solution Æ Electric Field > Electric Field Vector
Sum

14
 Vector Plot of Electric Field
• General Postprocessing > Plot results > Vector
Plot > Predefined Æ Elec Field EF, VRATIO =
0.2

Parallel – 3D (neglect fringing)

• Area: 100 microns x 100 microns
• Separation 10 microns
• Air filled: εr = 1

C=
εA
=
(8.854 ×10 (F / m))(100 ×10 (m ))
−12 −6 2

= 8.854 × 10 −15 (F )
d 10 × 10 −6
(m )

15
 Start ANSYS

Preferences > Electric

16
 Select Element
• Preprocessor > Element Type >
Add/Edit/Delete
– Add: Electrostatic: 3D Quad 123

Define Material Properties

• Preprocessor > Material Props > Material
Models > Electromagnetics > Relative
Permittivity > Constant > PERX = 1

17
 Define Units (microns)
• Preprocessor > Material Properties >
Electromag Units > User Defined Æ
Specify Free space Permittivity = 8.854e-6
• Capacitance will be in pF

Model Structure
• Preprocessor > Modeling > Create Volume > Block > By
Dimensions Æ
– X = 50,-50
– Y = 50, -50
– Z = 5, -5

18
 Plot Views
• Utility Menu > PlotCtrls
• Æ Pan – Zoom – Rotate
– Iso

Mesh the Volume

• Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Tool Æ Smart
Size:6 > Mesh Æ Select Volume > OK

19
 Select Top Area

• Utility Menu > Select > Entities > Areas – by Num/Pick

Plot Selected Area

• Utility Menu > Plot > Areas

20
 Select nodes attached to area
• Utility Menu > Select Æ Nodes attached to
areas, all

Create Conductor Component 1

• Utility Menu > Select > Comp/Assembly >
Create Component Æ ‘cond1’

21
 Select Bottom Area
• Utility Menu > Select > Everything
• Utility Menu > Plot > Elements
• Utility Menu > Select > Entities > Areas – by Num/Pick

Select nodes attached to area

• Utility Menu > Select Æ Nodes attached to
areas, all

22
Create Conductor Component 2
• Utility Menu > Select > Comp/Assembly >
Create Component Æ ‘cond2’

Calculate Capacitance Matrix

• Type in command window:
– cmatrix, 1,’cond’,2,0
• Allow the computer to continue even after
it has said solved.
• This generates the following results
window

23
 Results
•
• ________________ CMATRIX SOLUTION SUMMARY ___________________
•
• *** Ground Capacitance Matrix ***
• Self Capacitance of conductor 1. = 0.88540E-02
• Ground capacitance matrix is stored in 3d array parameter cmatrix ( 1., 1.,1)
• *** Lumped Capacitance Matrix ***
• Self Capacitance of conductor 1. = 0.88540E-02
• Lumped capacitance matrix is stored in 3d array parameter cmatrix ( 1., 1.,2)
• Capacitance matricies are stored in file cmatrix .txt

•
• _____________________________________________________________
•

More Complex Geometries

• Import or draw geometry (2D)
• Extrude to metal thickness
• Create block of air between metal
structures
• Group nodes on metal into conductor
assemblies
• Ground plane is the highest number
assembly
• Use Cmatrix command

24
 GUI to Batch
• Utilities Menu > File > Write DB log File

/BATCH KEYW,MAGEDG,0 ! /ANG, 1

! /COM,ANSYS RELEASE 11.0 UP20070125 15:07:18 07/30/2008 KEYW,MAGHFE,0 ! /REP,FAST
/input,start110,ans,'C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v110\ANSYS\apdl\',,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1 KEYW,MAGELC,1 ! /VIEW, 1 ,-1
!* KEYW,PR_MULTI,0 ! /ANG, 1
/NOPR KEYW,PR_CFD,0 ! /REP,FAST
/PMETH,OFF,0 /GO ! /VIEW, 1 ,,,1
KEYW,PR_SET,1 !* ! /ANG, 1
KEYW,PR_STRUC,1 ! /COM, ! /REP,FAST
KEYW,PR_THERM,0 ! /COM,Preferences for GUI filtering have been set to display: CM,cond1,NODE
KEYW,PR_FLUID,0 ! /COM, Electric ALLSEL,ALL
KEYW,PR_ELMAG,0 !* ! /VIEW, 1 ,1,1,1
KEYW,MAGNOD,0 !* ! /ANG, 1
KEYW,MAGEDG,0 ET,1,SOLID123 ! /REP,FAST
KEYW,MAGHFE,0 !* ! EPLOT
KEYW,MAGELC,0 !* ASEL,S, , , 1
KEYW,PR_MULTI,0 !* NSLA,S,1
KEYW,PR_CFD,0 EMUNIT,MUZRO,0.125663706144E-05 ! NPLOT
/GO EMUNIT,EPZRO,0.885399999845E-05 ! /VIEW, 1 ,1
!* !* ! /ANG, 1
! /COM, !* ! /REP,FAST
! /COM,Preferences for GUI filtering have been set to display: MPTEMP,,,,,,,, CM,cond2,NODE
! /COM, Structural MPTEMP,1,0 cmatrix,1,'cond',2,0
!* MPDATA,PERX,1,,1 ! /COM,ANSYS RELEASE 11.0 UP20070125
!* BLOCK,-50,50,-50,50,-5,5, 15:11:22 07/30/2008
/NOPR ! VPLOT !
/PMETH,OFF,1 ! /VIEW, 1 ,1,1,1 LGWRITE,'captutorial','lgw','C:\DOCUME~1\tjkai
KEYW,PR_SET,1 ! /ANG, 1 ser\Desktop\',COMMENT
KEYW,PR_STRUC,1 ! /REP,FAST
KEYW,PR_THERM,0 SMRT,6
KEYW,PR_FLUID,0 MSHAPE,1,3D
KEYW,PR_ELMAG,1 MSHKEY,0
KEYW,MAGNOD,0 !*
KEYW,MAGEDG,0 CM,_Y,VOLU
KEYW,MAGHFE,0 VSEL, , , , 1
KEYW,MAGELC,1 CM,_Y1,VOLU
KEYW,PR_MULTI,1 CHKMSH,'VOLU'
KEYW,PR_CFD,0 CMSEL,S,_Y
/GO !*
!* VMESH,_Y1
! /COM, !*
! /COM,Preferences for GUI filtering have been set to display: CMDELE,_Y
! /COM, Structural CMDELE,_Y1
! /COM, Electric CMDELE,_Y2
!* !*
/PREP7 ! EPLOT
!* ASEL,S, , , 2
!* NSLA,S,1
/NOPR ! NPLOT
/PMETH,OFF,1 ! /VIEW, 1 ,-1
KEYW,PR_SET,1 ! /ANG, 1
KEYW,PR_STRUC,0 ! /REP,FAST
KEYW,PR_THERM,0 ! /VIEW, 1 ,,,1
KEYW,PR_FLUID,0 ! /ANG, 1
KEYW,PR_ELMAG,1 ! /REP,FAST
KEYW,MAGNOD,0 ! /VIEW, 1 ,1,1,1

25