Collaboration between Exelis Geospatial Systems with University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology aims to develop an active THz imaging focal plane array utilizing 0.35um CMOS MOSFET technique. An appropriate antenna is needed to couple incident THz radiation to the detector which is much smaller than the wavelength of interest. This paper simply summarizes our work on modeling the optical characteristics of bowtie antennae to optimize the design for detection of radiation centered on the atmospheric window at 215GHz. The simulations make use of the finite difference time domain method, calculating the transmission/absorption responses of the antenna-coupled detector.
Exelis Geospatial Systems and its CEIS partners at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology are developing an active THz imaging system for use in standoff detection, molecular spectroscopy and penetration imaging. The current activity is focused on developing a precision instrument for the detection of radiation centered on atmospheric windows between 200 GHz and 400 GHz (available sources). A transmission imager is developed by raster scanning through a semi-coherent non-ionizing beam, where the beam is incident on a NMOS FET detector. The primary goal of the initial system is to produce a setup capable of measuring responsivity and sensitivity of the detector. The Instrumentation covers the electromagnetic spectral range between 188 GHz and 7.0 THz. Transmission measurements are collected at 188 GHz in order to verify image formation, responsivity and sensitivity as well as demonstrate the active imager’s ability to make penetration images.
Interest in array based imaging of terahertz energy (T-Rays) has gained traction lately, specifically using a CMOS process due to its ease of manufacturability and the use of MOSFETs as a detection mechanism. Incident terahertz radiation on to the gate channel region of a MOSFET can be related to plasmonic response waves which change the electron density and potential across the channel. The 0.35 μm silicon CMOS MOSFETs tested in this work contain varying structures, providing a range of detectors to analyze. Included are individual test transistors for which various operating parameters and modes are studied and results presented. A focus on single transistor-antenna testing provides a path for discovering the most efficient combination for coupling 0.2 THz band energy. An evaluation of fabricated terahertz band test detection MOSFETs is conducted. Sensitivity analysis and responsivity are described, in parallel with theoretical expectations of the plasmonic response in room temperature conditions. A maximum responsivity of 40 000 V/W and corresponding NEP of 10 pW/Hz1/2 (±10% uncertainty) is achieved.
Exelis Geospatial Systems and its CEIS partners at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology
are developing an active THz imaging focal plane for use in standoff detection, molecular spectroscopy and penetration
imaging. This activity is focused on the detection of radiation centered on the atmospheric window at 215.5 GHz. The
pixel consists of a direct coupled bowtie antenna utilizing a 0.35 μm CMOS technology MOSFET, where the plasmonic
effect is the principle method of detection. With an active THz illumination source such as a Gunn diode, a design of
catadioptric optical system is presented to achieve a resolution of 3.0 mm at a standoff distance of 1.0 m. The primary
value of the initial system development is to predict the optical performance of a THz focal plane for active imaging and
to study the interaction of THz radiation with various materials.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.