The present invention relates to sensors, and more particularly to sensors for measurements of electric potentials and electric fields.
With an electric field sensor it may be possible to measure the true quantitative electric potential and electrostatic field emanating from, passing through, and present around objects or in free space. A quasi-static measurement process for imaging electric potentials and electric fields has been developed using a quasi-static electric field generator. The quasi-static electric field generator allows for the simultaneous calibration and measurement of the electric field sensor responses in the presence of parasitic intrinsic and extrinsic leakage electrical currents that exist in electrical components. These leakage currents manifest themselves as parasitic capacitances, resistances, and inductances throughout solid state elements of electrical components and the supporting structures. The active constitutive electronic materials of the electronic component, as well as mounting structures, all have these manifestations to some degree. Additionally, the leakage currents are not only supported by solid structures. Leakage currents may also exist in surrounding gases, liquids, and plasmas. When measuring true static electric potentials and electric fields emanating from an object, the measurement process is made more complex by the leakage of charged carriers moving and polarization, due to the presence of the electric field, toward establishing an equilibrium state of the measurement system. This equilibrium process is time dependant and prohibits the measurement of the original true electrical potential and electric field in current systems.