Vector network analyzers and improved signal processing techniques make accurate measurements on various materials a function of frequency and temperature. Microwave nondestructive inspection of surface and subsurface characteristics of non-metallic objects is done by using focused antennas and near field scanning techniques. This short course begins with the fundamentals of microwave interaction with materials and systems, and an overview of current microwave measurement systems and inspection and characterization methods. The advantages of this technique over conventional techniques are discussed.

This course introduces the fundamentals of reconfigurable antennas and associated smart electronics including RF MEMS based switches, capacitors and filters. A newly developed Penn State fractal antenna architecture suitable for miniaturization of the system is discussed. Topics covered include: smart skin conformal antenna, electronically steerable antenna, multiband and wide band fractal antenna. This is followed by a critical survey of the currently available MEMS processing technologies related to antenna and RF circuits. Finally, the integration of the sensors, MEMS, and smart electronics into antenna architecture to conceive reconfigurable antenna for wireless communications is discussed.