An integral equation of the second kind for computation of capacitance

We report a new formulation for computing the charge density of a multiconductor system in a homogeneous or multiple dielectric medium. The technique employs single-layer potential description to yield a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind, for which efficient numerical algorithms are available. Furthermore, the associated discretization matrix has improved conditioning. Here, we consider not only the potential but also the electric flux density, offering a direct means of controlling the overall computational accuracy and efficiency. The technique can be employed to extract parasitic coupling capacitance in VLSI interconnects and large-area imaging arrays, as well as electrostatic forces in microelectromechanical systems