J. Semicond. > 2012, Volume 33 > Issue 3 > 031001

INVITED REVIEW PAPERS

Review of terahertz semiconductor sources

Feng Wei

+ Author Affiliations
DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/3/031001

PDF

Abstract: Terahertz (THz) technology can be used in information science, biology, medicine, astronomy, and environmental science. THz sources are the key devices in THz applications. The author gives a brief review of THz semiconductor sources, such as GaAs1-xNx Gunn-like diodes, quantum wells (QWs) negative-effective-mass (NEM) THz oscillators, and the THz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). THz current self-oscillation in doped GaAs1-xNx diodes driven by a DC electric field was investigated. The current self-oscillation is associated with the negative differential velocity effect in the highly nonparabolic conduction band of this unique material system. The current self-oscillations and spatiotemporal current patterns in QW NEM p+pp+ diodes was studied by considering scattering contributions from impurities, acoustic phonons, and optic phonons. It is indicated that both the applied bias and the doping concentration strongly influence the patterns and self-oscillating frequencies. The NEM p+pp+ diode may be used as an electrically tunable THz source. Meanwhile, by using the Monte Carlo method, the device parameters of resonant-phonon THz QCLs were optimized. The results show that the calculated gain is more sensitive to the injection barrier width, the doping concentration, and the phonon extraction level separation, which is consistent with the experiments.

Key words: THz semiconductor sources

[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
  • Search

    Advanced Search >>

    GET CITATION

    shu

    Export: BibTex EndNote

    Article Metrics

    Article views: 4888 Times PDF downloads: 2283 Times Cited by: 0 Times

    History

    Received: 20 August 2015 Revised: 21 October 2011 Online: Published: 01 March 2012

    Catalog

      Email This Article

      User name:
      Email:*请输入正确邮箱
      Code:*验证码错误
      Feng Wei. Review of terahertz semiconductor sources[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(3): 031001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/3/031001 ****Feng W. Review of terahertz semiconductor sources[J]. J. Semicond., 2012, 33(3): 031001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/3/031001.
      Citation:
      Feng Wei. Review of terahertz semiconductor sources[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2012, 33(3): 031001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/3/031001 ****
      Feng W. Review of terahertz semiconductor sources[J]. J. Semicond., 2012, 33(3): 031001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/3/031001.

      Review of terahertz semiconductor sources

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/33/3/031001
      • Received Date: 2015-08-20
      • Accepted Date: 2011-10-21
      • Revised Date: 2011-10-21
      • Published Date: 2012-02-20

      Catalog

        /

        DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
        Return
        Return