Error analysis of material characterization using a wave guide applicator

Error analysis is the process of finding the amount of estimated error in a final calculated result, given the uncertainty of all the variables within the calculation. This thesis will cover an error analysis method applied to the characterization of electromagnetic materials, which uses the error propagation equation to estimate the final uncertainty.;The thesis will first discuss the extraction of the electromagnetic properties of a material using an X-band wave guide system. Next, the identification of errors such as uncertainty in network analyzer measurements, sample thickness, and waveguide dimensions will be discussed. Finally, the errors must be quantified so they can be used to obtain an uncertainty on the complex permeability and permittivity of the material sample by using the error propagation equation.;Results will show that each contributing factor to the uncertainty of the complex permeability and permittivity is largely dependant on the electromagnetic properties of the material sample.