Broadband microwave dielectric characterization method for printable dielectric inks

This work presents a parameter-related, one-probe based microwave characterization method for determining complex dielectric properties of various printable dielectric inks from 1-30 GHz. Dielectric constant and loss tangent of a material under test (MUT) are extracted utilizing the measured reflection S
₁₁
-parameters and analyzed equivalent circuits of a cylindrical capacitor with and without the MUT. This method is also verified by HFSS simulations with predefined dielectric and loss tangent profiles. Both simulated and measured results show good agreement between the extracted data and predefined data. The method was implemented by microwave dielectric characterization of a commercially available dielectric ink. This commercial material was also characterized using a waveguide method developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and a commercial based software. Results show good agreements between the complex dielectric properties obtained from our wideband printed technique and the banded waveguide technique.