A Simplified Measurement Configuration for Evaluation of Relative Permittivity Using a Microstrip Ring Resonator with...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Accurate characterization of dielectric material properties is crucial for electronic device design.
• Existing methods for measuring relative permittivity of thin films can be complex or lack precision.
• Microstrip ring resonators offer a promising platform for microwave measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and efficient method for determining the relative permittivity of thin dielectric materials.
• To define optimal sample size and placement for accurate measurements using a microstrip ring resonator.
• To validate the proposed method across a range of dielectric materials.

Main Methods:

• Full-wave electromagnetic simulations were employed to analyze sample-resonator interaction.
• Measurements were performed on benchmark materials to validate simulation results.
• A variational method-based algorithm was developed to process measured data.
• The microstrip ring resonator (MRR) design and its role in the measurement are detailed.

Main Results:

• The study defined the proper size and placement of a sample under test (SUT) on the MRR surface.
• The proposed method demonstrated efficiency across 12 different SUT materials.
• High accuracy, with a relative error between 0% and 10%, was achieved for SUTs thinner than 2 mm.

Conclusions:

• The presented method provides a simple, efficient, and accurate means for determining the relative permittivity of thin dielectric materials.
• The optimized sample placement and measurement algorithm enhance the reliability of dielectric characterization.
• This technique is suitable for a wide range of thin dielectric materials relevant to microwave applications.