Experimental and Theoretical Characteristics of Sub-Terahertz and Terahertz Oscillations of Resonant Tunneling Diodes Integrated with Slot Antennas

Experimental and theoretical characteristics of sub-terahertz and terahertz oscillations in resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) integrated with slot antennas are reported. In the experiments, oscillations up to 0.6 THz were obtained in GaInAs/AlAs double-barrier RTDs. The oscillation characteristics were theoretically analyzed for the total device structure including RTD and slot antenna. The equivalent circuit with all parasitic elements was taken into account for the RTD, and the actual structure of the antenna was analyzed using a three-dimensional electromagnetic simulator. The theoretical analysis was in good agreement with the measurements of oscillation frequency and output power. It was shown from the theoretical results that the RTD itself has the potential to oscillate up to 3.0 THz, and that the RTD oscillator with slot antenna is able to oscillate up to 2.8 THz if the device structure is optimized. The output power analysis showed that 90 µW at 1 THz is possible by optimizing the device structure.