Integrated calibration switches for compact planetary instruments

A highly integrated calibration switch operating in the 500-750 GHz band is fabricated using silicon micromachining and measured. The silicon pieces are fabricated using DRIE micro-fabrication techniques and are assembled using silicon compression pins. This compact approach will enable, for the first time, an integrated Dickie switch radiometer at this frequency band and will facilitate calibration of multi-pixel receiver arrays at terahertz frequencies.