Date: 28/02/2012

Terahertz ICs can be made using low cost CMOS tech

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and UT Dallas have announced research results that show integrated circuits (ICs) operating at the terahertz (THz) range can be produced using CMOS silicon IC chip fabs.

THz is used in security applications and has huge scope in commercial applications too. The areas of applications include defense, medical, industrial process control and public and industrial safety.

The release from the SRC states "A key component of THz systems is a receiver that UT Dallas has shown can be manufactured affordably. Employing Schottky diodes in 130 nanometer (nm) CMOS with higher cut-off frequency than MOS transistors, the new detector's sensitivity allows reception of signals that are smaller than those previously achieved using MOS transistors in 65nm CMOS. The Schottky diodes can be fabricated without any process modifications."

"Our new technology can take the cost for producing THz systems down from hundreds of thousands of dollars to only a few hundred dollars," said Professor Ken O, lead researcher for SRC's program at UT Dallas. "The impact will be huge. The collective chip industry can literally light up a portion of the wavelength spectrum so all can benefit from the applications."

"The need for THz communications is great, and our progress holds tremendous potential for enhancing the lives of many - both in a preventative and curative nature," said Betsy Weitzman, SRC executive vice president. "The results we have here will broadly enable many opportunities for consumers and the semiconductor industry."

The relase explains: THz can enable a wide range of uses such as monitoring for toxic molecules in the air, breath analyses for disease diagnostics, imaging cavities without use of the more harmful x-rays, imaging cancerous cells, controlling industrial processes and conducting remote high resolution imaging and high bandwidth communication. Until now, there has been no economical way to make the systems that can support these applications.

"SRC supports a comprehensive THz research effort through various programs, and advances from the projects will impact the electronics industry over the next decade," said Dale Edwards, a GLOBALFOUNDRIES assignee at SRC.

More information about the research is published in the paper titled, "280GHz and 860GHz Image Sensors Using Schottky-Barrier Diodes in 0.13µm Digital CMOS,"