Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 April 2014
Two compact resonant near-field sensors are introduced for the characterization of aqueous solutions at 5 GHz. They are based on folded substrate-integrate circular half-mode resonators with a planar sensing tip. Owing to the planar design, the sensor is simple and cheap to manufacture, and a sample can be easily coupled to the resonator from the top. The operating principle of the sensor is explained and verified by both simulation and measurement. The radiation of the sensors is quantified by means of a quality factor analysis. Finally, a previously introduced calibration method based on the perturbation theory is applied to the sensors and its accuracy is improved by choosing more suitable reference materials.