Devices and Architectures for Terahertz Electronics

Abstract

Devices and Architectures for Terahertz ElectronicsSOWFunds are provided to develop THz devices and circuits. This is an additional sixth year of funding for the FY11 new start MURI, Entitled "III-N Devices and Architectures for Terahertz Electronics~ The lead PI is Professor Patrick Fay, the lead performer is the University of Notre Dame.This provides an increment of $1.5M to fully fund the grant through 31 December, 2017 The MURI team will continue their effort to investigate the problem of providing significant gain and power at THz frequencies by all electronic means, through a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary effort. An integrated program of research in materials, devices, electromagnetics, and characterization forms the core of the proposed effort. The device concepts around which this effort will revolve are based in the exploitation of gated tunneling, hot-electron injection, and resonant traveling-wave plasma amplification. Exploration of the relevant physics, engineering of physically-realizable implementations exploiting these physical mechanisms (including material growth, fabrication processing, and fully integrating the effects of electromagnetic propagation and interactions on the extrinsic device performance), and enhancement of the performance of devices through phonon engineering, in conjunction with a comprehensive program of characterization of the resulting devices and structures, form the basis for the proposed work plan.ObjectiveThe MURI team will investigate the problem of providing significant gain and power at THz frequencies by all electronic means, through a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary effort.ApproachAn integrated program of research in materials, devices, electromagnetics, and characterization forms the core of the proposed effort. The device concepts around which this effort will revolve are based in the exploitation of gated tunneling, hot-electron injection, and resonant traveling-wave plasma amplification. Exploration of the relevant physics, engineering of physically-realizable implementations exploiting these physical mechanisms (including material growth, fabrication processing, and fully integrating the effects of electromagnetic propagation and interactions on the extrinsic device performance), and enhancement of the performance of devices through physical modeling of the phonon-related energy loss mechanisms for electron transport, in conjunction with a comprehensive program of characterization of the resulting devices and structures, form the basis for the proposed work plan.ONR Relevance / MeritThis effort has proposed several physical electronic phenomena with terahertz frequency response that can be excited electronically so as to achieve the MURI goals. This would result a significant achievement in basic electronics research, and enable advances in exploiting terahertz electronics for sensing and communication for future Navy systems. This effort will enable the initial steps towards realizing new terahertz-speed electronic devices that will be used for these systems.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2016
Source ID
N000141612686

Entities

People

  • Patrick Fay

Organizations

  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Navy
  • University of Notre Dame

Tags

Readers

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.
  • Research Science/Academic Research

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics