Hybrid two antenna microwave sensor for nondestructive material characterisation

With increasing production and process requirements, the need for cost efficient, simple and reproducible measurement and test methods, which are not only nondestructive but also contactless, steadily rises. We are developing a system whose core part is an LTCC (low temperature cofired ceramic) hybrid, which provides whole RF functionality and delivers baseband signals for further processing. The operating frequencies of the system are the ISM bands at 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz. In order to obtain specifications necessary for the final LTCC design, we have developed a reference prototype. We present the measurement principle and first results for the prototypes.