Date: 24/06/2010

New GaN transistor based terahertz detector from Panasonic

Panasonic has developed a new terahertz (THz) detector using a Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistor, which it claims exhibits the world highest sensitivity at room temperature. This detector is suggested for security or analyzing systems application. The THz detector uses the GaN technologies to achieve a very high sensitivity of 1100 V/W at room temperature while a conventional detector requires cooling of the device down to -270°C.

The GaN detector forms a plasma wave of the electrons, in which the electron density is fluctuated as a wave. The plasma wave resonates with the incident THz wave, which is detected as an electric signal at the GaN transistor. The use of GaN with high electron velocity increases the amplitude of the plasma wave and the extracted electric signal. The detector uses the gate electrode itself as a dipole antenna free from the loss in the transmission lines. The source and the drain electrodes of the GaN transistor are designed to work as parasitic elements for the antenna, which confine the incident THz wave in the vicinity of the gate. It employs metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate structure that reduces the gate leakage current suppressing the leakage of the plasma wave around the gate antenna.

To know more visit: http://panasonic.net