Research On 340Ghz Solid-state Frequency Multiplier Technology

With the widely application in wideband communication,object imagining,security detection,astronomical detection,etc. in recent years,Terahertz technology is obtained more and more experts and scholars concern and attention. Stable,reliable and efficient terahertz frequency source is the primary problem in terahertz technology field. Solid state frequency multilier based on semiconductor devices becomes the main form of generating terahertz frequency source because of it’s stable performance, compact structure, small volume, low weight, ability of working at room temperature and other advantages.As one of the atmospheric window of terahertz wave atmospheric transmission, 340 GHz can be used in the system of communication. A 340 GHz balanced and serial typle frequency tripler based on the hybrid integrated circuit were designed by the research of the diode frequency multiplication technology. Multipliers were designed using HFSS and ADS software co-simulation method. By the “breaking up the whole into parts” method, the whole frequency multiplier circuit was divided into several subcircuits with separate functions such as input and output probe transistion, filter, etc. The simulation and design of each subcircuit was performed in HFSS. The 3D electromagnetic model was established to take the parasitic parameter into consideration, The simulation results was imported into ADS in the form of SNP format to perform the whole nonlinear multiplier circuit harmonic balance simulation with the intrinsic SPICE model of the diode. Alternately by ADS and HFSS simulation and optimization to complete the final design frequency multiplier.The 340 GHz zero-biased balanced tripler and serial typle frequency tripler had been processed, assembled and tested. The test results shows that the maximum output power of 340 GHz balanced tripler is 332 uW, The corresponding minimum conversion loss is 20.8 dB when the input power is fixed at about 36 mW. We can deduce from the test results under different input power that the tripler would get higher out power and better performance if we could get more powerful source to pump. The maximum output power of 340 GHz serial typle frequency tripler is 821 uW, the best conversion loss is 15.99 dB. Both frequency multipliers successfully obtained 320~350GHz terahertz wave.The design method and experience in this paper can provide certain referable value for the follow-up teraherz frequency multiplier design.