Room-temperature terahertz detectors based on semiconductor nanowire field-effect transistors.

The growth of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) has recently opened new paths to silicon integration of device families such as light-emitting diodes, high-efficiency photovoltaics, or high-responsivity photodetectors. It is also offering a wealth of new approaches for the development of a future generation of nanoelectronic devices. Here we demonstrate that semiconductor nanowires can also be used as building blocks for the realization of high-sensitivity terahertz detectors based on a 1D field-effect transistor configuration. In order to take advantage of the low effective mass and high mobilities achievable in III-V compounds, we have used InAs nanowires, grown by vapor-phase epitaxy, and properly doped with selenium to control the charge density and to optimize source-drain and contact resistance. The detection mechanism exploits the nonlinearity of the transfer characteristics: the terahertz radiation field is fed at the gate-source electrodes with wide band antennas, and the rectified signal is then read at the output in the form of a DC drain voltage. Significant responsivity values (>1 V/W) at 0.3 THz have been obtained with noise equivalent powers (NEP) < 2 × 10(-9) W/(Hz)(1/2) at room temperature. The large existing margins for technology improvements, the scalability to higher frequencies, and the possibility of realizing multipixel arrays, make these devices highly competitive as a future solution for terahertz detection.

[1]  Shur,et al.  Shallow water analogy for a ballistic field effect transistor: New mechanism of plasma wave generation by dc current. , 1993, Physical review letters.

[2]  A. Shchepetov,et al.  Resonant and voltage-tunable terahertz detection in InGaAs /InP nanometer transistors , 2006 .

[3]  M. Shur,et al.  Plasma wave detection of terahertz radiation by silicon field effects transistors: Responsivity and noise equivalent power , 2006 .

[4]  Charles M. Lieber,et al.  Epitaxial core–shell and core–multishell nanowire heterostructures , 2002, Nature.

[5]  Lars Samuelson,et al.  Epitaxial Growth of Indium Arsenide Nanowires on Silicon Using Nucleation Templates Formed by Self‐Assembled Organic Coatings , 2007 .

[6]  Michael S. Shur,et al.  Plasma wave detection of sub-terahertz and terahertz radiation by silicon field-effect transistors , 2004 .

[7]  H. Roskos,et al.  Rational design of high-responsivity detectors of terahertz radiation based on distributed self-mixing in silicon field-effect transistors , 2009 .

[8]  Charles M. Lieber,et al.  Growth of nanowire superlattice structures for nanoscale photonics and electronics , 2002, Nature.

[9]  R. Mendis,et al.  Spectral characterization of broadband THz antennas by photoconductive mixing: toward optimal antenna design , 2005, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[10]  M. Shur,et al.  Nonresonant Detection of Terahertz Radiation in Field Effect Transistors , 2002 .

[11]  C. Thelander,et al.  Sulfur passivation for ohmic contact formation to InAs nanowires , 2007 .

[12]  Vincenzo Grillo,et al.  InAs/InSb nanowire heterostructures grown by chemical beam epitaxy , 2009, Nanotechnology.

[13]  Fang Qian,et al.  Nanowire electronic and optoelectronic devices , 2006 .

[14]  Michael Shur,et al.  Device loading effects on nonresonant detection of terahertz radiation by silicon MOSFETs , 2007 .

[15]  O. Wunnicke,et al.  Gate capacitance of back-gated nanowire field-effect transistors , 2006 .

[16]  M. Shur,et al.  Low ballistic mobility in submicron HEMTs , 2002, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[17]  Thomas Skotnicki,et al.  Non Resonant Response to Terahertz Radiation by Submicron CMOS Transistors , 2006, IEICE Trans. Electron..

[18]  E. Lind,et al.  Heterostructure Barriers in Wrap Gated Nanowire FETs , 2008, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[19]  Seiya Kasai,et al.  Observation of first and third harmonic responses in two-dimensional AlGaAs/GaAs HEMT devices due to plasma wave interaction , 2008 .

[20]  H. Hubers,et al.  Terahertz Heterodyne Receivers , 2008, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[21]  Lars Samuelson,et al.  Synthesis of branched 'nanotrees' by controlled seeding of multiple branching events , 2004, Nature materials.

[22]  L.-E. Wernersson,et al.  Vertical Enhancement-Mode InAs Nanowire Field-Effect Transistor With 50-nm Wrap Gate , 2008, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[23]  Laurent Dussopt,et al.  Broadband terahertz imaging with highly sensitive silicon CMOS detectors. , 2011, Optics express.

[24]  Shadi A Dayeh,et al.  High electron mobility InAs nanowire field-effect transistors. , 2007, Small.

[25]  K. Button,et al.  Infrared and Millimeter Waves , 1983 .