Fast antenna-coupled terahertz detectors based on uncooled thermoelements

Author

Huhn, A.K. ; Spickermann, G. ; Ihring, A. ; Schinkel, U. ; Meyer, H. -G ; Bolivar, P. Haring

Author_Institution

High Freq. & Quantum Electron., Univ. of Siegen, Siegen, Germany

fYear

2012

fDate

23-28 Sept. 2012

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

3

Abstract

We report on uncooled antenna-coupled thermoelements with a fast response time operating at 0.812 THz. Each sensor pixel consists of 8 thermocouples in series. As thermoelectric structure, a BiSb/Sb freestanding air-bridge is used, fabricated by micromachining. A thermal time constant as low as 22 μs and a NEP of 130 pW/Hz^0.5 at 1 kHz modulation frequency is measured in air at room temperature. The integration capability of the thermocouple sensors enables cost-efficient large-scale detector arrays.

Keywords

micromachining; microsensors; sensor arrays; submillimetre wave antennas; submillimetre wave detectors; thermocouples; NEP; cost-efficient large-scale detector arrays; fast antenna-coupled terahertz detectors; freestanding air-bridge; frequency 0.812 THz; micromachining; thermal time constant; thermocouple sensors; uncooled antenna-coupled thermoelements; CMOS integrated circuits; Detectors; Frequency modulation; Imaging; Noise; Sensitivity;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), 2012 37th International Conference on

Conference_Location

Wollongong, NSW

ISSN

2162-2027

Print_ISBN

978-1-4673-1598-2

Electronic_ISBN

2162-2027

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2012.6379495

Filename

6379495