Coding DGS resonator sensor for ultra-high Q-factor dielectric thickness detection

Abstract

In this paper, a high Q-factor-based defective ground structure (DGS) etched microwave resonator is demonstrated to identify the unknown thickness of non-destructive monolayer dielectric material. The proposed structure consists of coupled sharp-edged split-square resonator (CS-SSR), a high-impedance microstrip line, and symmetrically coded DGS optimized by adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA), which is evaluated through simulation and experiment assessment. AGA is applied to obtain ultra-high quality factor (Q-factor) using a robust calculation model with rapid convergence speed. The high Q-factor leads to high sensitivity, better accuracy, and enhanced resolution of the microwave sensor. Furthermore, the comparison of the results between the codeless, asymmetrical, and symmetrical DGS resonator illustrates that the symmetrical coding DGS resonator with higher sensitivity and better performance for dielectric material thickness detection sensors.