Numerical simulation of microscopic motion and deposition of nanoparticles via electrodynamic focusing

A computational model was developed to simulate microscopic motion and deposition of charged aerosols during the nanoparticle patterning process utilizing electrodynamic focusing concept (Kim et al., 2006). Our computational model includes Brownian random force, Coulomb and image forces, fluid drag and van der Waals force for determining Lagrangian particle trajectories after solving electrostatic fields in the deposition chamber. Our results are in agreement with the previous experimental findings. The effects of operation parameters such as surface charge density, applied voltage and particle charges were investigated. It was found that the electric field-induced motion of particles dominated over Brownian random motion of 10 nm nanoparticles near the surface and the inertial motion of charged nanoparticles under high electric field would be important to determine the precise deposition pattern within submicrometer scale structures.