Juan Antonio Delgado Notario

By Juan Antonio Delgado-Notario, Vito Clericò, Kristel Fobelets, Jesús Enrique Velázquez-Pérez and Yahya Moubarak Meziani

This chapter reports on an experimental and theoretical study of Schottky-gated strained-Si modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs) with different sub-micron gate lengths (100, 250, and 500 nm). Room-temperature detection of terahertz (THz) radiation by the strained-Si MODFETs was performed at two frequencies (0.15 and 0.3 THz). A technology computer-aided design (TCAD) analysis based on a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model (HDM) was used to investigate the transistor response to THz radiation excitation. TCAD simulation was validated through comparison with DC and low-frequency AC measurements. It was found that the photoresponse of the transistors can be improved by applying a constant drain-to-source bias. This enhancement was observed both theoretically and experimentally. The HDM model satisfactorily describes the experimental dependence of the photoresponse on the excitation frequency, the gate bias, and the drain-to-source current bias. The coupling of the incoming THz radiation to the MODFETs was studied at 0.15 and 0.3 THz. Finally, to demonstrate the suitability of strained-Si MODFET for terahertz applications, an image sensor within a pixel-by-pixel terahertz imaging system for the inspection of hidden objects was used.

Part of the book: Design, Simulation and Construction of Field Effect Transistors