industry InP electronics
rhombus4
long before his team is able to Teledyne’s approach, which Lai NGAS is also starting to reap the
conceive of making circuits at this claims is similar to that of NGAS, rewards of its 35 nm gate process
frequency. Values for the HBT’s involves fabrication of waveguides by that has been used to produce
maximum oscillation frequency are silicon micro-machining. The hundreds of wafers. Circuits have
closing in on one terahertz, and the radiation’s wavelength is a fraction of been demonstrated with 25-30
cut-off frequencies are hitting half a a millimeter, so tolerances of tens of transistor cells and 50-100 fingers
terahertz. microns are needed for the features. with good functional and RF yield.
“But smoothness tolerance are very And institutions such as the Jet
Similar outlooks important too,” says Brar, as Propulsion Laboratory have adopted
Brar and Lai both believe that one of otherwise losses are unacceptably the 35 nm process to make circuits
the biggest challenges of the high. operating at lower frequencies. “That
terahertz electronics program is the shows the maturity of our process,”
fabrication of waveguides for Both teams are aiming to develop says Lai. “We can take our device
coupling the radiation in and out of production processes with good process, share the device models
the chips. Terahertz systems already yields, rather than embarking on a that we have, and others can go and
exist in research labs, but they are quest for a ‘hero result’ from a single, design this stuff successfully.” That
very limited in the amount of power unrepeatable device. “We’re not a means that DARPA’s programs can
they can provide, because of the high university,” explains Brar. “We want be viewed as money well spent, an
losses at these frequencies. “We to grow a technology that goes into a important virtue in tough economic
want to take power and sensitivity product.” The efforts of him and his times. Not only have these efforts
and improve it by several orders of co-workers are already having an improved transistor performance;
magnitude,” says Lai. Realizing this impact on lower-frequency devices, they have started to impact the
would redefine the types of systems which can now be manufactured with characteristics of systems operating
and measurements that are possible. greater control and uniformity. at lower frequencies.
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36
www.compoundsemiconductor.net October 2009
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