System Characterisation Issues for Integration

Vital to the successful development of terahertz systems and devices is the establishment of measurement systems and techniques to quantify their performance characteristics reliably and probe the underlying physical mechanisms. Many of the new systems we will want to characterise will be integrated units, the form of which is largely dictated by the fabrication processes involved. This poses a particular problem in their characterisation. Before addressing this and explaining the approach we have adopted in the UK Terahertz Integrated Technology Initiative (TINTIN) programme, we will take a look at the parameters of interest and how we may go about measuring them.