Terahertz device and terahertz integrated circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276919-B2
Application number	US-201715443636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A THz device includes: an antenna electrode capable of transmitting and receiving a THz wave to free space; first transmission lines capable of transmitting the THz wave, the first transmission lines respectively connected to the antenna electrodes; an active element of which a main electrode is connected to each of the first transmission lines; second transmission lines capable of transmitting the THz wave, the second transmission lines connected to the first active device; pad electrodes respectively connected to the second transmission lines; and a low-pass filter with respect to the THz wave, the low-pass filter connected to the pad electrodes, wherein impedance matching of between the antenna electrode and the active element is performed by an impedance conversion of the first transmission lines. The THz device is capable of the high-efficiency matching between the active element and the antenna due to the impedance conversion effect of the transmission line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terahertz device comprising:
an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving a THz wave to free space;
first transmission lines capable of transmitting the THz wave, the first transmission lines connected to the antenna;
an active element of which a main electrode is connected to each of the first transmission lines;
second transmission lines capable of transmitting the THz wave, the second transmission lines connected to the active element;
pad electrodes respectively connected to the second transmission lines; and
a low-pass filter with respect to the THz wave, the low-pass filter connected to the pad electrodes,
wherein the first transmission lines and the second transmission lines each include strip-line structures, such that a first strip-line structure of the first transmission lines, a first side of the antenna, a first strip-line structure of the second transmission lines, and a first pad electrode of the pad electrodes are located on one side of the active element, and a second strip-line structure of the first transmission lines, a second side of the antenna, a second strip-line structure of the second transmission lines, and a second pad electrode of the pad electrodes are located on an opposite side of the active element, and
wherein impedance matching between the antenna and the active element is performed by an impedance conversion of the first transmission lines.

2. The terahertz device according to claim 1 , wherein the low-pass filter comprises a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) reflector.

3. The terahertz device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a resistance element connected between the pad electrodes.

4. The terahertz device according to claim 3 , wherein the resistance element comprises metallic wiring.

5. The terahertz device according to claim 4 , wherein the metallic wiring comprises one selected from the group consisting of Bi, Ni, Ti, and Pt.

6. The terahertz device according to claim 3 , wherein the resistance element comprises a semiconductor layer, and
the resistance element is disposed below the pad electrodes.

7. The terahertz device according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises one selected from the group consisting of a bow tie antenna, a dipole antenna, a slot antenna, a patch antenna, a ring antenna, and a Yagi-Uda antenna.

8. The terahertz device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a first semiconductor layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate;
a second electrode connected to one side of the main electrode of the active element formed so as to be layered on the first semiconductor layer, the second electrode connected to the first semiconductor layer and disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and
a first electrode connected to another side of the main electrode of the active element, the first electrode disposed on the semiconductor substrate so as to be opposite to the second electrode,
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to the first transmission lines.

9. The terahertz device according to claim 1 , wherein the active element comprises one selected from the group consisting of a resonant tunneling diode, a TUNNETT diode, an IMPATT diode, a GaAs based field-effect transistor, a GaN based FET, a high electron mobility transistor, a hetero-junction bipolar transistor, and CMOSFET.

10. A terahertz device comprising:
an antenna unit comprising an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving a THz wave to free space, and a first transmission line connected to the antenna;
an active element capable of transmitting and receiving the THz wave, the active element connected to the first transmission line; and
a resonator unit comprising a second transmission line for supplying an electric power to the active element, the second transmission line connected to the active element, and a low-pass filter with respect to the THz wave, the low-pass filter connected to the second transmission line,
wherein the first transmission line and the second transmission line respectively include strip-line structures,
wherein the first transmission lines and the second transmission lines each include strip-line structures, such that a first strip-line structure of the first transmission line, a first side of the antenna, a first strip-line structure of the second transmission line, and a first side of the resonator unit are located on one side of the active element, and a second strip-line structure of the first transmission line, a second side of the antenna, a second strip-line structure of the second transmission line, and a second side of the resonator unit are located on an opposite side of the active element, and
wherein impedance matching between the antenna and the active element is performed by an impedance conversion of the first transmission line.

11. The terahertz device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a bias power supply and data signal supply unit for supplying a bias power and a data signal to the active element, the bias power supply and data signal supply unit connected to the resonator unit.

12. The terahertz device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a branch unit,
wherein the active element includes a plurality of the active elements and the resonator unit includes a plurality of the resonator units, and
the plurality of the active elements and the plurality of the resonator units are connected to the antenna unit via the branch unit.

13. A terahertz integrated circuit comprising a terahertz device, the terahertz device comprising:
an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving a THz wave to free space;
first transmission lines capable of transmitting the THz wave, the first transmission lines connected to the antenna;
an active element of which a main electrode is connected to each of the first transmission lines;
second transmission lines capable of transmitting the THz wave, the second transmission lines connected to the active element;
pad electrodes respectively connected to the second transmission lines; and
a low-pass filter with respect to the THz wave, the low-pass filter connected to the pad electrodes,
wherein the first transmission lines and the second transmission lines respectively include strip-line structures,
wherein the first transmission lines and the second transmission lines each include strip-line structures, such that a first strip-line structure of the first transmission lines, a first side of the antenna, a first strip-line structure of the second transmission lines, and a first pad electrode of the pad electrodes are located on one side of the active element, and a second strip-line structure of the first transmission lines, a second side of the antenna, a second strip-line structure of the second transmission lines, and a second pad electrode of the pad electrodes are located on an opposite side of the active element, and
wherein impedance matching between the antenna and the active element is performed by an impedance conversion of the first transmission lines.

Assignees

• Rohm Co Ltd
• Univ Osaka

Inventors

• Diebold Sebastian
• Fujita Masayuki
• Nagatsuma Tadao
• Kim Jaeyoung
• Mukai Toshikazu
• Tsuruda Kazuisao

Classifications

• H01Q15/14

  Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures {(electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526)} · CPC title

• H01Q9/28

  Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines (waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00) · CPC title

• H01Q5/335

  at the feed, e.g. for impedance matching · CPC title

• H01Q1/2283 Primary

  mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package · CPC title

• H01Q9/285

  Planar dipole (H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407) · CPC title