L4 Capacitance

Dr Graeme Burt
Jan 2011

01/11

ENGR 227

Capacitance

Consider two isolated, uncharged, electrodes A and B immersed in a linear

dielectric material

Let charge +Q be transferred from electrode B to electrode A.

The charge on B is now Q and the potential difference between the electrodes
is V

Since the system is linear the potential difference is proportional to the charge
transferred so we can write

Q CV

(14)

where C (the Capacitance) is a constant which depends only on the geometry of

the electrodes and the dielectric. C is measured in Farads (F).

A circuit component designed to provide a specific capacitance is a capacitor

Capacitance occurs wherever two conductors are at different potentials from

one another

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ENGR 227

Capacitance between parallel plates

For infinite parallel plates carrying

charge C/m2 we know that the electric
field is uniform

(1)

If the separation between the plates is d then the potential difference

is
d
V Ed
0
(2)

Therefore the capacitance per square metre is

01/11

0
d

F .m2

(3)

ENGR 227

Capacitance between parallel plates

If the plates each have area A then

(ignoring the effect of fringing fields)

0 A

Michael Faraday first discovered that

the capacitance increases when a
dielectric is placed between the plates.

For infinite parallel plates with dielectric

of relative permittivity r between them
carrying charge C/m2 we know that the
electric field is uniform

01/11

0 r

0 r

ENGR 227

(1)
4

Capacitor with layers of dielectric in series

Parallel plates of area A (ignoring fringing

fields) with charge A

D is the same everywhere

In region 1

E1 D 1 1

(8)

(9)

In region 2

E2 D 2 2
V2 E2 d 2 d 2 2

d2

V1 E1d1 d1 1

(7)

d1

(10)

Total potential difference = V1 + V2

1

d
1
d
1
C

1 2
V1 V2 d1 d 2 A1 A 2 C1 C2

1 2
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ENGR 227

Capacitor with layers of dielectric in parallel

Parallel plates of area A1 covered with

dielectric 1 and area A2 covered by
dielectric 2 (ignoring fringing fields) with
charges 1A1 and 2A2

In region 1

E1 D1 1 1 1

(7)

V1 E1d 1 d 1

(8)

In region 2

E2 D2 2 2 2

V2 E2 d 2 d 2

(9)
(10)

Potential difference is the same V1 = V2 so

charges must be different

1 A1 2 A2 1 A1 1 2 A2 2

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1d

2d

ENGR 227

A11 A2 2

C1 C2
d
d
6

Fringing field

When a pair of electrodes is finite

the field spreads out into the
adjoining region

Example: Infinite strip conductor

over an infinite conducting plane

When the fringing field is ignored E is

uniform under the strip and zero
elsewhere

If the charges are kept constant they

redistribute themselves moving
outwards and round the back of the
strip

The potential difference between the

electrodes has now decreased and the
capacitance has increased

01/11

ENGR 227

5mm

1mm
3mm

V = 100V

V=0

+ +

+ +

+++ + + + + + + + + ++

- - - - ---- - - - - - - - - ---- - - - -

Finite Parallel Plates

Assume there is a ground plane

half way between the square
plates of width, w.

Es

At the strip

If w>>h we can assume the field

cover a width of w+h at the
ground plane.

Eg (w+h)2 = w 2/

Eg = w2/[ (w+h)2]

Along the centre-line the

electric field is roughly constant
hence the voltage in is roughly,
V=Eav d

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ENGR 227

w
d=2h

h
w2
V
1

0 e w h
8

Finite Parallel Plates

Remember we approximate this as a strip
embedded in an infinite dielectric of
lower permittivity.

r 1 r 1
2

h
1

2 w

0.55

w
d=2h

The voltage is hence

h
w2
V
1

0 e w h 2
And the capacitance per unit length is

0 e w
0 e
q w

V
V
w 2 h
hw
h 1
w h w w h 2

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ENGR 227

Capacitance between coaxial conductors

q
V
ln b a
2 0

(5)

The capacitance per unit length is

2 0
q
C
V ln b a

From (L2:10) the potential difference between

concentric cylinders carrying charges q C/m is

(6)

Using the parameters (a = 0.5mm, b = 2.5mm, : C = 35

pF/m

For long transmission lines it is standard to give capacitance per unit

length, rather than capacitance.

01/11

ENGR 227

10

Capacitance between concentric cylinders

If the coaxial line is filled with a dielectric

From (L2:10) the potential difference between

concentric cylinders carrying charges q C/m is

q
V
2 0 r

ln b a

(5)

The capacitance per unit length is

q 2 0 r

V ln b a

(6)

Using the same parameters as before (a = 0.5mm, b =

2.5mm, r = 2.25): C = 78 pF/m

For the same geometry with air spacing (r = 1.0): C =

35 pF/m

01/11

ENGR 227

11

Capacitance between concentric cylinders

This is the same as for the case of parallel dielectric regions in the
parallel plates, hence

C = C1 + C2

If only half the circumference is filled with dielectric the

equipotentials must still be concentric cylinders. V is unchanged and the
charge is the sum of the charges on the two parts
C = (78 + 35)/2 = 57 pF/m

01/11

ENGR 227

12

Parallel Wire Transmission Line

Imagine we have two wires of radius a separated by a distance 2d

This can be approximated by line charges of charge, Q=qL placed at p2=4d2-a2.

Potential, V at y=0 and x=d-a

1
q
1
ln

ln

2 0 p d a 2 0 p d a
d pa
q
V
ln

2 0 p d a
V

Hence the capacitance per unit length is,

If d>>a this can be

simplified to
01/11

2V

2V

0
d pa
ln

pd a

0
2d
ln

ENGR 227

13

Microstrip

The transmission line you are most likely to use frequently when
working with electronics above 500 MHz is the microstrip line.

It is critical you can work out the impedance for microstrip on your
PCBs

For this we need the capacitance and the inductance.

Here we will calculate the capacitance.

As in the last lecture the ground plane
acts as a mirror so the geometry is
equivalent to two parallel strips.

w
h
01/11

ENGR 227

t
14

Capacitance of Microstrip Lines

If w>>h we can approximate as parallel plates

(except voltage is half so capacitance is
doubled)

If the strip has an area A=wL then (ignoring

the effect of fringing fields)

2h

r 0 wL
h

Hence the capacitance per unit length is

r 0 A

r 0 w
h

For the microstrip the potential difference

between the ground and the strip is half the
potential difference of the parallel plates but
the distance is also half hence the capacitance
is the same.

01/11

ENGR 227

15

Microstrip Transmission Line

Remember we approximate this as a strip
embedded in an infinite dielectric of
lower permittivity.

r 1 r 1
2

h
1

2 w

0.55

The voltage is hence

h
w
1

2 0 e w h

And the capacitance per unit length is

01/11

2 0 e w
2 0 e
q w

w h
h
V
V

h 1

h
w
w

ENGR 227

16

Example
Calculate the capacitance of a
microstrip line on a 1 mm thick
substrate of GaAs (r=10.9) if the
strip width is 1 mm.

The effective dielectric constant of the strip is

e

r 1 r 1
2

h
1

2 w

0.55

10.9 1 10.9 1 1
e

1
2
2 1

0.55

Hence the capacitance is

01/11

w
V

A better approximation is to
approximate the strip as a
cylindrical wire but that is
beyond this course.

2 0 e

h
h

w wh

9.33

2 8.85 1012 9.33

1 1

1 11
ENGR 227

0.11 nF

17

Energy Stored

The energy stored in a capacitor is equal to the work done (for

example by a battery to charge it)

If at any time the charge on the plates is q and the voltage is V=q/C

The work done in taking a charge dq from the negative plate to the
positive plate is dW=Vdq=(q/C) dq
Q

q
Q2
W dq
C
2C
0

Hence the stored energy is

UE=Q2/(2C) =QV/2 = CV2/2

01/11

ENGR 227

18

Parasitic capacitance

Electrostatic coupling between wires in a circuit

Earthed metallic screens are used to eliminate unwanted coupling

01/11

ENGR 227

19

Capacitive Coupling

In coaxial lines the outer conductor shields the fields from the outside
enviroment.

In parallel plates, parallel wires and microstrip the fields spread out
into the area around it.

If another unshielded transmission line is nearby the electric fields will

overlap and will cause a capacitive coupling (inductive couplings are also
possible and will be discussed in later lectures)

01/11

ENGR 227

20

Capacitance Matrix

If we have two conductors which are capacitively coupled the voltage is

given by

V1= Q1/C11 + Q2/C12

However if net charge (Q1+Q2) is zero, this reduces to the well known
formula

V1= Q/C12

If we have more than two conductors or the net charge is non-zero

things get more complicated as there is a capacitance between each
pair of conductors.

Take three charged conductors

V1= Q1/C11 + Q2/C12 + Q3/C13

As each charged conductor will have an impact on the other two

conductors. This is written as a matrix

[V]=[P][Q]

Where P is a a matrix with each element equal to 1/Cmn

01/11

ENGR 227

21

Coupled Microstrip
For two coupled microstrip
lines with a ground plane the
potentials equal
V1=Q1/C1G + Q2/C12

C12
Line 1
C1G

Line 2
C2G

V2=Q2/C2G + Q1/C21

Hence the matrix is

V1 1/ C1G 1/ C12 Q1
Q
V 1/ C
1/
C
21
2G 2
2
This is simplified as C12=C21

01/11

ENGR 227

22

Coupled Microstrip
d

w
h

The capacitances C1G and C2G

can be calculated using
previous formulae.

Line 1
C1G

C12 is normally calculated

using numerical codes but
when d<h we can roughly
approximate as two parallel
wires, of diameter t, half in
dielectric.
01/11

C12

ENGR 227

Line 2
C2G

23

Coupled Microstrip
d

w
h

Previously we say that the capacitance of two parallel wires

was
r 0
q
C

2V
4d
ln

t
If half is in dielectric and half is in air

01/11

2V

r 0
4d
2 ln

0
4d
2 ln

ENGR 227

24