Design and Characterization of Plasmonic Terahertz Wave Detectors Based on Silicon Field-Effect Transistors

We report the first implementation of a modeling and simulation environment for the plasmonic terahertz (THz) detector based on the silicon (Si) field-effect transistor (FET) with a technology computer-aided-design (TCAD) platform. The nonresonant plasmonic behavior has been modeled by introducing a quasi-plasma electron box as a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in the channel region. The alternate-current (AC) signal as an incoming THz wave radiation successfully induced a direct-current (DC) drain-to-source voltage as a detection signal in the broadband sub-THz frequency regime. The simulated dependences of photoinduced DC detection signals on structural parameters such as gate length and dielectric thickness confirmed the operation principle of the nonresonant plasmonic THz detector in the Si FET structure. We evaluated the design specifications of THz detectors considering both responsivity and noise equivalent power (NEP) as the typical performance metrics. The proposed methodologies provide the physical design platform for developing novel plasmonic THz detectors operating in the nonresonant detection mode.

[1]  M. Shur,et al.  Electron transport and terahertz radiation detection in submicrometer-sized GaAs/AlGaAs field-effect transistors with two-dimensional electron gas , 2004 .

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

[3]  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.

[4]  T. Otsuji,et al.  An Intensity Modulator for Terahertz Electromagnetic Waves Utilizing Two-Dimensional Plasmon Resonance in a Dual-Grating-Gate High-Electron-Mobility Transistor , 2010 .

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

[6]  A. Markelz,et al.  Terahertz Dielectric Sensitivity to Biomolecular Structure and Function , 2008, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[7]  T. Phillips,et al.  Submillimeter astronomy (heterodyne spectroscopy) , 1992, Proc. IEEE.

[8]  Alvydas Lisauskas,et al.  A 0.65 THz Focal-Plane Array in a Quarter-Micron CMOS Process Technology , 2009, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[9]  Michael S. Shur,et al.  Resonant detection of subterahertz radiation by plasma waves in a submicron field-effect transistor , 2002 .

[10]  M. Shur,et al.  Analysis of Tunneling-Injection Transit-Time Effects and Self-Excitation of Terahertz Plasma Oscillations in High-Electron-Mobility Transistors , 2002 .

[11]  Jin He,et al.  A generic numerical model for detection of terahertz radiation in MOS field-effect transistors , 2010 .

[12]  B. Ferguson,et al.  T-ray computed tomography. , 2002, Optics letters.

[13]  M. Shur,et al.  Electron mobility and terahertz detection using silicon MOSFETs , 2003 .

[14]  A. Bosserhoff,et al.  Label-Free Probing of the Binding State of DNA by Time-Domain Terahertz Sensing , 2000 .

[15]  I. Khmyrova,et al.  Analysis of Fringing Effect on Resonant Plasma Frequency in Plasma Wave Devices , 2009 .

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

[17]  M. Shur,et al.  Detection, mixing, and frequency multiplication of terahertz radiation by two-dimensional electronic fluid , 1996 .

[18]  Michael S. Shur,et al.  Sub-terahertz testing of silicon MOSFET , 2008 .

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

[20]  S. Rajan,et al.  Demonstration of forward inter-band tunneling in GaN by polarization engineering , 2011, 1108.4075.

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

[22]  K. Ajito,et al.  Terahertz Images of Biological Molecules: Frequency Dependence of Spatial Resolution Using a Tunable Terahertz Laser Source , 2008 .

[23]  Michael S. Shur,et al.  Nonresonant detection of terahertz radiation by silicon-on-insulator MOSFETs , 2005 .

[24]  Michael S. Shur,et al.  Terahertz science and technology for military and security applications , 2007 .

[25]  Xinnan Lin,et al.  Terahertz Wave Generation and Detection Analysis of Silicon Nanowire MOS Field-Effect Transistor , 2009 .

[26]  Dominique Coquillat,et al.  Plasma wave oscillations in nanometer field effect transistors for terahertz detection and emission , 2008, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[27]  John L. Reno,et al.  Terahertz photoconductivity and plasmon modes in double-quantum-well field-effect transistors , 2002 .

[28]  Mitsuhiro Hanabe,et al.  Terahertz plasma wave resonance of two-dimensional electrons in InGaP/InGaAs/GaAs high-electron-mobility transistors , 2004 .

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