MT-Lab Technical Notes-06: Calibration of a sample holder

Introduction

Sample holders are devices dedicated to securing Materials Under Test (MUT) in order to determine their electrical properties such as electrical conductivity and dielectric constant. Some sample holders like the HTCC conductivity cell [1] or In-plane CESH with interdigitated electrode [2] are characterized by a constant k, provided by the manufacturer as a nominal constant. This constant is defined by the geometry, the shape and the surface of the electrodes. An accurate determination of this constant is necessary for accurate conductivity and dielectric constant measurements. This is why calibration of such a sample holder is needed. The calibration is achieved by determining the constant k using a standard solution with known conductivity. Once determined, this constant is used for the calculation of the conductivity and the other electrical parameters of the Material Under Test (MUT) [3]