Analysis of the electric field behavior in the vicinity of a triple junction, using finite elements method computational simulations

• A computational model of a triple junction was simulated.
• The electric field is investigated as a function of the contact angle of the materials.
• The field enhancement is invariant in function of the applied potential in the metal.
• The dielectric affects the electric field, enabling a field enhancement or reduction.

The authors studied the electric field behavior in the vicinity of a triple junction, composed by metal, vacuum and dielectric parts, using computational simulations. A bi-dimensional model was constructed using ANSYS MAXWELL to analyze the magnitude of the electric field as a function of the contact angles of the materials. The results showed that a field enhancement or reduction could occur in vacuum for certain contact angles. The influence of the dielectric permittivity was also investigated, and the conclusions showed that the maximum electric field enhancement is proportional to the dielectric permittivity.