Analysis and design of high electron mobility transistors for THz signal generation

Generation of terahertz signals using solid-state devices has yet to be demonstrated above 1 THz. This paper presents modeling and optimization of a plasma mode High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) for operation beyond 3 THz. In designing this structure, we examine geometrical and electrical parameters and their impact on the resonance frequency. Preliminary results show that as much as 20% of the plasma mode energy can be coupled to free space radiation by optimizing the 2DEG channel modulation and grating periods. This should be compared to efficiencies at the low single digits for other solid state devices.