A CMOS-compatible metamaterial to enhance the front to back radiation ratio in terahertz antenna for sensing application

Here we report for the first time the fabrication of a high aspect ratio, IC compatible metamaterial that greatly enhances the sensing performance of antennas in the Terahertz frequency. The metamaterial is realized by means of multilayered periodic metallic inclusions inside a thick dielectric host matrix. When placed on top of the radiating structure, this metamaterial increases the front-to-back radiation ratio by more than 10 dB, ensuring the matching of the antenna from 280 to 325 GHz. The maximum temperature reached during fabrication is 400°C, thus making this approach suited as CMOS back-end process.