Two-terminal solid-state THz sources: state-of-the-art and novel devices

Summary form only given. This presentation will review the basic principles of operation and power-generation capabilities and limitations of various types of two-terminal devices including IMPATTs, TUNNETs, TEDs, RTDs and varactor multipliers. A new device will also be presented. As is well known, the power generation capability of solid-state devices is limited by various factors including the critical electric field for breakdown E_c, the saturated velocity of carriers, v_s, the relative dielectric constant of the semiconductor material, ε_r, and the thermal resistance of the device. Most of these limitations can be circumvented by utilizing a vacuum-based diode. Therefore the basic properties and power generation capabilities of a vacuum-based diode utilizing tunneling from field-emitters, ballistic motion of carriers in vacuum which also has a relative dielectric constant of unity and good heat sinking capability will be presented. Because of the basic mechanisms involved we will refer to this device as a Ballistic Tunneling Transit Time Diode (BT³D)