Every material has a unique set of electrical characteristics that are
dependent on its dielectric properties. Accurate measurements of these
properties can provide scientists and engineers with valuable information to
properly incorporate the material into its intended application for more
solid designs or to monitor a manufacturing process for improved quality
control.
A dielectric materials measurement can provide critical design parameter
information for many electronics applications. For example, the loss of a
cable insulator, the impedance of a substrate, or the frequency of a dielectric
resonator can be related to its dielectric properties. The information is also
useful for improving ferrite, absorber, and packaging designs. More recent
applications in the area of industrial microwave processing of food, rubber,
plastic and ceramics have also been found to benefit from knowledge of
dielectric properties.
Agilent Technologies Inc. offers a variety of instruments, fixtures, and
software to measure the dielectric properties of materials. Agilent measure-
ment instruments, such as network analyzers, LCR meters, and impedance
analyzers range in frequency up to 325 GHz. Fixtures to hold the material
under test (MUT) are available that are based on coaxial probe,
coaxial/waveguide transmission line techniques, and parallel plate.