Electric field localizations in thin dielectric films with thickness non-uniformities

Thickness non-uniformities in electrostatic capacitors and in electroactive polymers arising from manufacturing processes or electromechanical induced inhomogeneous deformations may lead todrastic charge and electric field localizations and, ultimately, to an anticipated device failure. Based on ageometric interpretation of the Gauss equation enlightening the effect of the electrode curvature, weobtain an analytic expression of the electric field and of the surface charge density localization for nonperfectly planar capacitors with symmetric thickness non-uniformities. The efficiency of the model isexploited by analyzing specific boundary value problems of technological interest.