Sb-Heterostructure Millimeter-Wave Detectors With Reduced Capacitance and Noise Equivalent Power

InAs/AlSb/GaSb backward diodes are used for millimeter-wave square-law power detection. A new heterostructure design with low capacitance, low resistance, and high curvature coefficient as compared to previous designs is presented. Voltage sensitivity, which is directly proportional to curvature coe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE electron device letters 2008-06, Vol.29 (6), p.536-539
Main Authors: Su, N., Rajavel, R., Deelman, P., Schulman, J.N., Fay, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustical engineering
Antimony
Applied sciences
Backward diodes
Capacitance
Cathodes
Circuit properties
Coefficients
Compound structure devices
Curvature
Cutoff frequency
Detectors
Devices
Diodes
Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits
Electronics
Exact sciences and technology
Frequency estimation
Imaging devices
Mathematical analysis
Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits
millimeter-wave detectors
Noise
Noise reduction
Sb-heterostructure detectors
Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices
tunnel diodes
Voltage
Wideband
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Summary:InAs/AlSb/GaSb backward diodes are used for millimeter-wave square-law power detection. A new heterostructure design with low capacitance, low resistance, and high curvature coefficient as compared to previous designs is presented. Voltage sensitivity, which is directly proportional to curvature coefficient, is improved by 31% as compared to prior reports of devices with similar barrier thicknesses. The junction capacitance is also reduced by 24% to 13 . The improved sensitivity and decreased junction capacitance originate from the incorporation of a p-type-doping plane with sheet concentration of in the n-InAs cathode layer. The combination of low resistance (and thus Johnson noise) and high sensitivity results in an estimated noise equivalent power of 0.24 at 94 GHz for a conjugately matched source, whereas the reduced capacitance facilitates wideband matching and increases the detector cutoff frequency. These modified Sb-based detectors have promise for improving the performance of passive millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave imaging systems.
ISSN:0741-3106
1558-0563
DOI:10.1109/LED.2008.922986