In search of novel detectors of electromagnetic radiation at terahertz frequencies, field-effect transistors (FETs) have recently gained much attention. The current literature studies them with respect to the excitation of plasma waves in the two-dimensional channel. Circuit aspects have been taken into account only to a limited degree. In this paper, we focus on embedding silicon FETs in a proper circuitry to optimize their responsivity to terahertz radiation. This includes impedance-matched antenna coupling and amplification of the rectified signal. Special attention is given to the investigation of high-frequency short-circuiting of the gate and drain contacts by a capacitive shunt, a common approach of high-frequency electronics to induce resistive mixing in transistors. We theoretically study the effect of shunting in the framework of the Dyakonov–Shur plasma-wave theory, with the following key results. In the quasistatic limit, the capacitive shunt induces the longitudinal high-frequency field needed in the FET’s channel for resistive mixing. In the non-quasi-static case, the shunt’s role is taken over by plasma waves. Rectification can then be described as distributed self-mixing in the transistor’s channel. Based on such considerations as well as other circuit-related aspects, we arrive at a rational design for FET-based detectors of terahertz radiation, and implement the first monolithically integrated 0.65 THz focal-plane array including antennas and amplifiers on a single silicon die. The measured performance data compare well with the theoretical predictions.
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1 June 2009
Research Article|
June 09 2009
Rational design of high-responsivity detectors of terahertz radiation based on distributed self-mixing in silicon field-effect transistors
Alvydas Lisauskas;
Alvydas Lisauskas
a)
1Physikalisches Institut,
Goethe–Universität
, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, D–60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Ullrich Pfeiffer;
Ullrich Pfeiffer
2High-Frequency and Communication Technology,
University of Wuppertal
, Rainer-Grünter-Str. 12, D–42119 Wuppertal, Germany
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Erik Öjefors;
Erik Öjefors
2High-Frequency and Communication Technology,
University of Wuppertal
, Rainer-Grünter-Str. 12, D–42119 Wuppertal, Germany
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Peter Haring Bolìvar;
Peter Haring Bolìvar
3Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik und Quantenelektronik, Hölderlinstr. 3,
Universität Siegen
, D–57076 Siegen, Germany
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Diana Glaab;
Diana Glaab
1Physikalisches Institut,
Goethe–Universität
, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, D–60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Hartmut G. Roskos
Hartmut G. Roskos
1Physikalisches Institut,
Goethe–Universität
, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, D–60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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a)
Electronic mail: lisauskas@physik.uni-frankfurt.de.
J. Appl. Phys. 105, 114511 (2009)
Article history
Received:
December 21 2008
Accepted:
April 30 2009
Citation
Alvydas Lisauskas, Ullrich Pfeiffer, Erik Öjefors, Peter Haring Bolìvar, Diana Glaab, Hartmut G. Roskos; Rational design of high-responsivity detectors of terahertz radiation based on distributed self-mixing in silicon field-effect transistors. J. Appl. Phys. 1 June 2009; 105 (11): 114511. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3140611
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