J. M.

Williams

Microwave Penetration in Aluminum

p. 1

Penetration Depth of Microwaves into an Aluminum Metal Plate

by John Michael Williams
jmmwill@comcast.net 2011-02-20 Copyright (c) 2011. All Rights Reserved.

This document details the derivation of a formula to determine the amplitude of a microwave beam at any given penetration depth as a function of frequency. The incident amplitude is taken as measured in the metal. It is a slight rework of a paper which I wrote originally in 1998.

Calculation of Skin Depth

Using Handbook of Optics CD, Properties of Metals, By Roger A. Paquin, Ch. 35, p. 5: Drude's model (metal) assumes electrons free to move; Lorentz's, that they are bound (dielectric). The Drude absorption coefficient is = Here,

( )
2

1 2

is defined as angular frequency in radian/s

is defined as magnetic susceptibility in H/m is defined as conductivity in S/m.

From the Paquin article, p. 6, the skin depth may be defined by 1 = =

( )
2

1 2

(1)

J. M. Williams

Microwave Penetration in Aluminum

p. 2
2

at which depth the power density (intensity/2) will be density.

( e1 )

of the incident power

Aluminum electrical conductivity:

The Handbook of Chemistry & Physics 42nd ed., p. 2589: Aluminum resistivity 2.7 microohm-cm at room temperature, using two different data in nearby tables. Therefore, using these tables, MKS conductivity of aluminum at room temperature would be about: = ( 2.7106 ) S/cm 3.7106
1

102 cm S 3.7107 S/ m. m cm

(2a)

In the Paquin article, p. 57, Table 7 gives empirical resistivity of aluminum of about 45 nanoohm-m at 20 C: This would convert as follows: = ( 45109 ) S/ m 2.2107 S/ m
1

(2b)

which is strangely different, but not very much so, from the result of (2a). Neither value seems correct, as will be shown below, and the temperature may be the difference, because Table 8, p. 59, quotes the resistivity to be .0076 nanoohm-m at 20 C for absolutely pure metal and shows a dramatic change for aluminum, even with a slight cooling below room temperature. This value yields,
= (.0076109 ) S/ m 1.31011 S/ m
1

(2c)

Aluminum magnetic susceptibility:

The Handbook of Chemistry & Physics 42nd ed., p. 2647, puts this, at 18 C, to be 0.65 x 10-6 electromagnetic cgs units. To obtain volume susceptibility, multiply by the density of Al, which is 2.7 x water, or 2.7 x 103 in MKS. From p. 3184, the electromagnetic cgs unit (abhenry) = 10 -9 H. Therefore, MKS volume susceptibility of aluminum at room temperature would be about, = .65( 106 ucgs ) 109

H 1 103 cm ( 2.7103 ) ucgs cm m

1.81010 H/ m.

(3)

J. M. Williams

Microwave Penetration in Aluminum

p. 3

Verification of Skin Depth Calculation

Using (2c) and (3), the general skin depth formula (1) would become,
=
1 2

2 ( 1.81010 ) ( 1.310
11

) (

1 2

2 ( 23 )

1 2

0.3

(4)

For radiation of wavelength 1mm, the data plotted in Figure 35, p. 52, of the Paquin article can be read to give a penetration depth of about 75 = 7.5 x 10-9 m, or about .0075 m. To check the formula, let a wavelength of 1 m equal a frequency of = c/ = 8 6 15 310 10 = 3 x 1014 Hz; then, 210 radian/s. Combining this with (4) yields, 0.3
1 2

0.3(2010

14

1 2

.0067m

(5)

which is as close to the data in Fig. 35 (op. cit.) as anyone might expect. We therefore accept (4) as the proper skin depth formula for pure aluminum at room temperature in general.

Formula for Penetration Field Amplitude

Using a solution to Maxwell's equations in terms of the equivalent absorption coefficient, = 1/ , from (4) above, we can obtain a formula for the amplitude A of the penetration of the electric field in the direction d perpendicular to the (flat) metal surface. Although Paquin, p. 4, defines "the absorption equation" in terms of incident d intensity, I metal = Iince , in which the I's are measured in the metal, he than implies on p. 6 that the skin depth describes a power ratio .135 ( 1/e2) of the incident intensity, power being defined as I/2. For distance d in cm and frequency in radian/s, the value of in (4) above may be used to write, for pure aluminum, A metal A ince
( d/100)

((

2 ) 2

1 2

(6a)

A metal A ince

( d/ 100)

((

2 ) 1.81010 H/ m1.31011 S/ m 2

1 2

(6b)

J. M. Williams

Microwave Penetration in Aluminum

p. 4

so,
1

A metal A ince

3.4 ( d/100)( 2 ) 2

; or, for frequency in Hz,

(6c)

A metal A ince

21 ( d/100)( ) 2

(pure aluminum).

(6d)

The field intensity I, then, under the assumed boundary and propagation conditions, is given by the square of the amplitude (in the metal). Therefore, for intensity in the metal, distance d in cm, and frequency in Hz, equation (6) yields, for pure aluminum, I metal =( A metal ) Iinc e3.4 (d/100 )(2(2 ))
2

1 2

Iince43 ( d/ 100)

1 2

(pure aluminum).

(7)

Graphical Interpretations of Equation 6

Fig. 1. Amplitude vs. penetration distance for a 1 GHz beam.

A more general view can be obtained by plotting coutours (level curves) from Equation 6, using two independent variables, microwave frequency and distance into the metal. This is done in Figure 2 below:

J. M. Williams

Microwave Penetration in Aluminum

p. 5

Fig. 2. Amplitude vs. pentration depth and frequency.

Finally, to emphasize the effect of frequency upon penetration amplitude, here is a plot of amplitude vs. frequency for penetration at a depth of just 0.001 mm (1 mm):

Fig. 3. Amplitude vs. frequency for a penetration depth of 0.001 mm.