Research

11 pages, 1134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contactless In Situ Electrical Characterization Method of Printed Electronic Devices with Terahertz Spectroscopy

by Mariia Zhuldybina, Xavier Ropagnol, Charles Trudeau, Martin Bolduc, Ricardo J. Zednik and François Blanchard

Sensors 2019, 19(3), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19030444 - 22 Jan 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6314

Abstract

Printed electronic devices are attracting significant interest due to their versatility and low cost; however, quality control during manufacturing is a significant challenge, preventing the widespread adoption of this promising technology. We show that terahertz (THz) radiation can be used for the in [...] Read more.

Printed electronic devices are attracting significant interest due to their versatility and low cost; however, quality control during manufacturing is a significant challenge, preventing the widespread adoption of this promising technology. We show that terahertz (THz) radiation can be used for the in situ inspection of printed electronic devices, as confirmed through a comparison with conventional electrical conductivity methods. Our in situ method consists of printing a simple test pattern exhibiting a distinct signature in the THz range that enables the precise characterization of the static electrical conductivities of the printed ink. We demonstrate that contactless dual-wavelength THz spectroscopy analysis, which requires only a single THz measurement, is more precise and repeatable than the conventional four-point probe conductivity measurement method. Our results open the door to a simple strategy for performing contactless quality control in real time of printed electronic devices at any stage of its production line. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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16 pages, 2331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Magnetoconductivity and Terahertz Response of a HgCdTe Epitaxial Layer

by Dmitriy Yavorskiy, Krzysztof Karpierz, Michał Baj, Małgorzata M. Bąk, Nikolai N. Mikhailov, Sergey A. Dvoretsky, Vladimir I. Gavrilenko, Wojciech Knap, Frederic Teppe and Jerzy Łusakowski

Sensors 2018, 18(12), 4341; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18124341 - 08 Dec 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2868

Abstract

An epitaxial layer of HgCdTe—a THz detector—was studied in magnetotransmission, magnetoconductivity and magnetophotoconductivity experiments at cryogenic temperatures. In the optical measurements, monochromatic excitation with photon frequency ranging from 0.05 THz to 2.5 THz was used. We show a resonant response of the detector [...] Read more.

An epitaxial layer of HgCdTe—a THz detector—was studied in magnetotransmission, magnetoconductivity and magnetophotoconductivity experiments at cryogenic temperatures. In the optical measurements, monochromatic excitation with photon frequency ranging from 0.05 THz to 2.5 THz was used. We show a resonant response of the detector at magnetic fields as small as 10 mT with the width of the resonant line equal to about 5 mT. Application of a circular polarizer at 2.5 THz measurements allowed for confirming selection rules predicted by the theory of optical transitions in a narrow-gap semiconductor and to estimate the band-gap to be equal to about 4.5 meV. The magnetoconductivity tensor was determined as a function of magnetic field and temperature 2 K < T < 120 K and analysed with a standard one-carrier conductivity model and the mobility spectrum technique. The sample showed n-type conductivity at all temperatures. At temperatures above about 30 K, conductivity was found to be reasonably described by the one-carrier model. At lower temperatures, this description is not accurate. The algorithm of the spectrum of mobility applied to data measured below 30 K showed presence of three types of carriers which were tentatively interpreted as electrons, light holes and heavy holes. The mobility of electrons and light holes is of the order of 10

^{6}

cm

^{2}

/Vs at the lowest temperatures. Magnetophotoconductivity experiments allowed for proposing a detector working at 2 K and 50 mT with a flat response between 0.05 THz and 2.5 THz. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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12 pages, 3019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spectroscopic Analysis of Melatonin in the Terahertz Frequency Range

by Uroš Puc, Andreja Abina, Anton Jeglič, Aleksander Zidanšek, Irmantas Kašalynas, Rimvydas Venckevičius and Gintaras Valušis

Sensors 2018, 18(12), 4098; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18124098 - 23 Nov 2018

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4831

Abstract

There is a need for fast and reliable quality and authenticity control tools of pharmaceutical ingredients. Among others, hormone containing drugs and foods are subject to scrutiny. In this study, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and THz imaging are applied for the first time to [...] Read more.

There is a need for fast and reliable quality and authenticity control tools of pharmaceutical ingredients. Among others, hormone containing drugs and foods are subject to scrutiny. In this study, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and THz imaging are applied for the first time to analyze melatonin and its pharmaceutical product Circadin. Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the human body, which is responsible for the regulation of sleep-wake cycles. In the THz frequency region between 1.5 THz and 4.5 THz, characteristic melatonin spectral features at 3.21 THz, and a weaker one at 4.20 THz, are observed allowing for a quantitative analysis within the final products. Spectroscopic THz imaging of different concentrations of Circadin and melatonin as an active pharmaceutical ingredient in prepared pellets is also performed, which permits spatial recognition of these different substances. These results indicate that THz spectroscopy and imaging can be an indispensable tool, complementing Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies, in order to provide quality control of dietary supplements and other pharmaceutical products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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10 pages, 2792 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A THz Receiver with Novel Features and Functionality

by Aleksander Sešek, Damjan Berčan, Miha Gradišek, Andrej Švigelj and Janez Trontelj

Sensors 2018, 18(11), 3793; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18113793 - 06 Nov 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3191

Abstract

The presented THz receiver is based on an antenna coupled titanium micro-bolometer. A new geometrical design improves the robustness and extends the lifetime of the sensor. A study of sensor lifetime using different biasing currents is presented. The lifetime was verified by several [...] Read more.

The presented THz receiver is based on an antenna coupled titanium micro-bolometer. A new geometrical design improves the robustness and extends the lifetime of the sensor. A study of sensor lifetime using different biasing currents is presented. The lifetime was verified by several tests and over 1000 operating hours. A new micro-bolometer sensitivity measurement algorithm is presented in the paper and measurement results using the proposed algorithm are shown. The new algorithm was developed to be suitable for ATM production testing. In the paper, a novel feature called “sensitivity boosting” is described, together with its influence on sensitivity and lifetime. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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13 pages, 5621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

InGaAs Diodes for Terahertz Sensing—Effect of Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth Conditions

by Vilius Palenskis, Linas Minkevičius, Jonas Matukas, Domas Jokubauskis, Sandra Pralgauskaitė, Dalius Seliuta, Bronislovas Čechavičius, Renata Butkutė and Gintaras Valušis

Sensors 2018, 18(11), 3760; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18113760 - 03 Nov 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3558

Abstract

InGaAs-based bow-tie diodes for the terahertz (THz) range are found to be well suited for development of compact THz imaging systems. To further optimize design for sensitive and broadband THz detection, one of the major challenges remains: to understand the noise origin, influence [...] Read more.

InGaAs-based bow-tie diodes for the terahertz (THz) range are found to be well suited for development of compact THz imaging systems. To further optimize design for sensitive and broadband THz detection, one of the major challenges remains: to understand the noise origin, influence of growth conditions and role of defects for device operation. We present a detailed study of photoreflectance, low-frequency noise characteristics and THz sensitivity of InGaAs bow-tie diodes. The diodes are fabricated from InGaAs wafers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on semi-insulating InP substrate under different technological conditions. Photoreflectance spectra indicated the presence of strong built-in electric fields reaching up to 49 kV/cm. It was demonstrated that the spectral density of voltage fluctuations at room temperature was found to be proportional to 1/f, while at lower temperatures, 77–200 K, Lorentzian-type spectra dominate due to random telegraph signals caused by individual capture defects. Furthermore, varying bias voltage, we considered optimal conditions for device room temperature operation in the THz range with respect to signal-to-noise ratio. The THz detectors grown with beam equivalent pressure In/Ga ratio equal to 2.04 exhibit the minimal level of the low-frequency noise, while InGaAs layers grown with beam equivalent pressure In/Ga ratio equal to 2.06 are found to be well suited for fabrication of room temperature bow-tie THz detectors enabling sensitivity of 13 V/W and noise equivalent power (NEP) of 200 pW/√Hz at 0.6 THz due to strong built-in electric field effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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11 pages, 1593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silicon Field Effect Transistor as the Nonlinear Detector for Terahertz Autocorellators

by Kęstutis Ikamas, Ignas Nevinskas, Arūnas Krotkus and Alvydas Lisauskas

Sensors 2018, 18(11), 3735; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18113735 - 02 Nov 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3203

Abstract

We demonstrate that the rectifying field effect transistor, biased to the subthreshold regime, in a large signal regime exhibits a super-linear response to the incident terahertz (THz) power. This phenomenon can be exploited in a variety of experiments which exploit a nonlinear response, [...] Read more.

We demonstrate that the rectifying field effect transistor, biased to the subthreshold regime, in a large signal regime exhibits a super-linear response to the incident terahertz (THz) power. This phenomenon can be exploited in a variety of experiments which exploit a nonlinear response, such as nonlinear autocorrelation measurements, for direct assessment of intrinsic response time using a pump-probe configuration or for indirect calibration of the oscillating voltage amplitude, which is delivered to the device. For these purposes, we employ a broadband bow-tie antenna coupled Si CMOS field-effect-transistor-based THz detector (TeraFET) in a nonlinear autocorrelation experiment performed with picoseconds-scale pulsed THz radiation. We have found that, in a wide range of gate bias (above the threshold voltage

V_{th} = 445

mV), the detected signal follows linearly to the emitted THz power. For gate bias below the threshold voltage (at 350 mV and below), the detected signal increases in a super-linear manner. A combination of these response regimes allows for performing nonlinear autocorrelation measurements with a single device and avoiding cryogenic cooling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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20 pages, 1949 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Terahertz Imaging of Thin Film Layers with Matched Field Processing

by Scott Schecklman and Lisa M. Zurk

Sensors 2018, 18(10), 3547; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18103547 - 19 Oct 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5451

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) time of flight (TOF) tomography systems offer a new measurement modality for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of the subsurface layers of protective coatings and/or laminated composite materials for industrial, security and biomedical applications. However, for thin film samples, the time-of-flight within a [...] Read more.

Terahertz (THz) time of flight (TOF) tomography systems offer a new measurement modality for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of the subsurface layers of protective coatings and/or laminated composite materials for industrial, security and biomedical applications. However, for thin film samples, the time-of-flight within a layer is less than the duration of the THz pulse and consequently there is insufficient range resolution for NDE of the sample under test. In this paper, matched field processing (MFP) techniques are applied to thickness estimation in THz TOF tomography applications, and these methods are demonstrated by using measured THz spectra to estimate the the thicknesses of a thin air gap and its depth below the surface. MFP methods have been developed over several decades in the underwater acoustics community for model-based inversion of geo-acoustic parameters. It is expected that this research will provide an important link for THz researchers to access and apply the robust methods available in the MFP literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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12 pages, 1765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Error Sources and Distinctness of Materials Parameters Obtained by THz-Time Domain Spectroscopy Using an Example of Oxidized Engine Oil

by Mario Méndez Aller, Ali Mazin Abdul-Munaim, Dennis G. Watson and Sascha Preu

Sensors 2018, 18(7), 2087; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18072087 - 29 Jun 2018

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4425

Abstract

Gasoline engine oil (SAE 5W-20) was subjected to thermal oxidization (TO) for four periods of time (0 h, 48 h, 96 h and 144 h) and exposed to THz-time domain spectroscopy (TDS) measurement. Error contributions from various error sources, such as repeatability errors, [...] Read more.

Gasoline engine oil (SAE 5W-20) was subjected to thermal oxidization (TO) for four periods of time (0 h, 48 h, 96 h and 144 h) and exposed to THz-time domain spectroscopy (TDS) measurement. Error contributions from various error sources, such as repeatability errors, assembly errors of the probe volume and errors caused by the TDS system were evaluated with respect to discernibility and significance of measurement results. The most significant error source was due to modifications of the TDS setup, causing errors in the range of 0.13% of the refractive index for samples with a refractive index around 1.467 and a probe volume length between 5 and 15 mm at 1 THz. The absorption coefficient error was in the range of 8.49% for an absorption around 0.6 cm⁻¹. While the average of measurements taken with different setup configurations did not yield significant differences for different TO times, a single, fixed setup would be able to discern all investigated oil species across the entire frequency range of 0.5–2.5 THz. The absorption coefficient measurement showed greater discernibility than the measurement of the refractive index. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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10 pages, 1749 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Speed Terahertz Waveform Measurement for Intense Terahertz Light Using 100-kHz Yb-Doped Fiber Laser

by Masaaki Tsubouchi and Keisuke Nagashima

Sensors 2018, 18(6), 1936; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18061936 - 14 Jun 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3368

Abstract

We demonstrate a high-speed terahertz (THz) waveform measurement system for intense THz light with a scan rate of 100 Hz. To realize the high scan rate, a loudspeaker vibrating at 50 Hz is employed to scan the delay time between THz light and [...] Read more.

We demonstrate a high-speed terahertz (THz) waveform measurement system for intense THz light with a scan rate of 100 Hz. To realize the high scan rate, a loudspeaker vibrating at 50 Hz is employed to scan the delay time between THz light and electro-optic sampling light. Because the fast scan system requires a high data sampling rate, we develop an Yb-doped fiber laser with a repetition rate of 100 kHz optimized for effective THz light generation with the output electric field of 1 kV/cm. The present system drastically reduces the measurement time of the THz waveform from several minutes to 10 ms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz Imaging Systems and Sensors)

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