Measuring Dielectric Properties using Agilent?s Materials Measurement Solutions0 pages

Measuring Dielectric Properties
using Agilent’s Materials
Measurement Solutions

A wide variety of industries need a
better understanding of the materials
they are working with to shorten design
cycles, process monitoring, and quality
assurance. 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. 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.
More recent applications in the area of
aerospace, automotive, food and medical
industries have also been found to benefit
from knowledge of dielectric properties.
The material evaluation systems
that generate these measurements
must combine precise measurement
instruments, test fixtures that hold the
material under test (MUT), and software
that calculate and display material
parameters. Agilent offers you fast,
accurate and often non-destructive
solutions.
The measurement instruments, such as
network analyzers, impedance analyzers
and LCR meters provide accurate
measurement results with wide frequency
range up to 1.1 THz. Fixtures are available

that are based on coaxial probe, parallel
plate, coaxial/waveguide transmission
lines, free space and resonant cavity
methods. The easy-to-use materials
measurement software streamlines the
process of measuring complex permittivity
and permeability. The table below shows
product examples that can be measured
by Agilent’s material test solutions.

•t Fast, accurate and nondestructive solutions
•t Wide frequency coverage,
up to 1.1 THz
•t A variety of measurement
methods supported

Industry

Application/products

Electronics

Capacitor, substrates, PCB, PCB antenna, ferrites, absorbers, SAR
phantom materials

Aerospace/defense

Stealth, RAM (radiation absorbing materials), radomes

Industrial materials

Ceramics & composites: A/D and automotive components, coatings
Polymers & plastics: ibers, ilms, insulation materials
Hydrogel: disposable diaper, soft contact lens
Liquid crystal: displays
Other products containing these materials: tires, paint, adhesives, etc.

Food & agriculture

Food preservation (spoilage) research, food development for microwave,
packaging, moisture measurements

Forestry & mining

Moisture measurements in wood or paper, oil content analysis

Pharmaceutical &
medical

Drug research and manufacturing, bio-implants, human tissue
characterization, biomass, fermentation