| Terahertz electronics will enable applications in national security, medical imaging, wireless communication, and manufacturing control. Highly sensitive low-noise detectors and THz Monolithic Integrated Circuits (TMICs) are needed to implement THz electronics systems. We report on the theory, modeling, design, fabrication and characterization of plasmonic THz High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) and Si Metal Oxide Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), which use the excitation of overdamped plasma wave oscillations to detect and process THz radiation. The ability to use these devices in complex VLSI circuits using existing fabrication processes makes them attractive candidates for the next generation of low-cost and high performance THz systems.;We also present analytical models for detector response at large input signals, and introduce a new THz SPICE model capable of modeling FETs at THz frequencies. Our measurement results on fabricated detectors using GaAs HEMTs and Si FETs with on-chip antennas validate our models and design methodology. We also measure response time of detectors for wireless communication applications, and demonstrate imaging to show a multi-pixel THz camera. These results provide a future pathway for developing THz electronics systems and subsystems. |
