Measurement of the dielectric properties of materials at RF and microwave frequencies

Abstract

This chapter is mainly concerned with the characterisation of dielectric materials at RF and MW frequencies. There are a number of existing publications that deal with this topic in depth that are well worth consulting. The most recent is the Good Practice Guide from NPL (on which this chapter is based), which deals with the topic comprehensively. The long-standing 'bible' of dielectric metrology is the book by von Hippel. It has deservedly stood the test of time and remains one of the most useful treatises on RF and MW dielectric measurement ever written. It covers background theory in greater depth than Reference, though the measurement technology described in it is now rather dated. A number of reviews also provide a useful background to this discipline. However, before we take up the topic of measurement, we must turn first to the dielectric theory behind the parameters, ε* and μ* the parameters that we wish to measure.