title: Nanowire-based field effect transistors for terahertz detection and imaging systems.
abstract: The development of self-assembled nanostructure technologies has recently opened the way towards a wide class of semiconductor integrated devices, with progressively optimized performances and the potential for a widespread range of electronic and photonic applications. Here we report on the development of field effect transistors (FETs) based on semiconductor nanowires (NWs) as highly-sensitive room-temperature plasma-wave broadband terahertz (THz) detectors. The electromagnetic radiation at 0.3 THz is funneled onto a broadband bow-tie antenna, whose lobes are connected to the source and gate FET electrodes. The oscillating electric field experienced by the channel electrons, combined with the charge density modulation by the gate electrode, results in a source-drain signal rectification, which can be read as a DC signal output. We investigated the influence of Se-doping concentration of InAs NWs on the detection performances, reaching responsivity values higher than 100 V W⁻¹, with noise-equivalent-power of ∼10⁻⁹ W Hz(⁻½). Transmission imaging experiments at 0.3 THz show the good reliability and sensitivity of the devices in a real practical application.
authors.affiliation: NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127 Pisa, Italy. lorenzo.romeo@sns.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coquillat
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pea
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ercolani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beltram
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sorba
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Knap
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tredicucci
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vitiello
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008422:Materials Testing; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010316:Particle Size; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D055069:Terahertz Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055053:Terahertz Radiation; D055068:Terahertz Spectroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers; D014173:Transistors, Electronic