一种基于CMOS的高集成度太赫兹近场传感器

A CMOS highly integrated terahertz near-field sensor

为了解决太赫兹波段近场传感器分辨率低和成本高的问题,提出了一种高图像分辨率、高集成度的传感器设计方案.该330 GHz传感器基于55 nm互补金属氧化物半导体(complementary metal oxide semiconductor,CMOS)工艺仿真实现,由330~336 GHz调谐范围的单端输出环形振荡器、宽带谐振器和功率探测器在单一硅片下集成.仿真结果表明,环形振荡器在偏置电压为2 V时达到峰值输出功率0.9 dBm@330 GHz,即1.23 mW.根据振荡器调谐范围,设计了一个宽带谐振器用于对待测物进行近场感测,通过放置不同介电常数的物体于其顶端表面,再通过探测器读出输出电压,与未放置物体时探测器的输出电压的差值即为该传感器的响应.此单片集成的传感器可以在单片上实现太赫兹照明、探测、传感以及成像功能,在未来太赫兹近场成像领域有较强的应用潜力.

In order to solve the problem of low imaging resolution and high cost of the terahertz near-field sensor,a high image resolution and high integration sensor is proposed.The 330 GHz sensor is simulated based on a 55 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS)fabrication process.The sensor consists of a 330-336 GHz single-ended ring oscillators,a wideband resonator and a power detector and all of them are integrated on a single chip.The simulation results show that the ring oscillator reaches a peak output power of 0.9 dBm@330 GHz,which is 1.23 mW,at a bias of 2 V.According to the tuning range of the oscillator,a wideband resonator is designed for near-field sensing of the object.After placing objects with different dielectric permittivity on the top surface of the resonator,we connect the resonator to a detector to achieve a voltage output signal.The difference of this voltage and the voltage without an object on the resonator’s surface is the response of the sensor.This monolithically integrated sensor has huge potential in the future of terahertz near-field imaging.