Microwave Resonant Sensor Based on MCSRR Research

Abstract

This paper presents a low-cost and easy-to-fabricate microwave resonant sensor for characterising the dielectric properties of solids and powders. The designed sensor is based on a FR-4 dielectric substrate with a Multiple Complementary Split-Ring Resonator (MCSRR) etched on its bottom, and this resonant unit is used to place the sample to be tested (Material Under Test, MUT). The sensor was operated at a resonant frequency of 4.9GHz and used the offset resonance to detect the dielectric properties of different solids and powders. The relationships established by the simulation were experimentally verified by the fabricated sensor. The percentage error between the calculated dielectric constant and the reference dielectric constant is less than 8.7% for a certain thickness of the sample to be tested, which verifies the feasibility of the proposed loaded MCSRR sensor. Therefore, this sensor is expected to be a cost-effective and convenient solution for accurate characterisation of solid, powder dielectric properties.