THz imaging Si MOSFET system design at 215 GHz

Exelis Geospatial Systems and its CEIS partners at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology are developing an active THz imaging focal plane for use in standoff detection, molecular spectroscopy and penetration imaging. This activity is focused on the detection of radiation centered on the atmospheric window at 215.5 GHz. The pixel consists of a direct coupled bowtie antenna utilizing a 0.35 μm CMOS technology MOSFET, where the plasmonic effect is the principle method of detection. With an active THz illumination source such as a Gunn diode, a design of catadioptric optical system is presented to achieve a resolution of 3.0 mm at a standoff distance of 1.0 m. The primary value of the initial system development is to predict the optical performance of a THz focal plane for active imaging and to study the interaction of THz radiation with various materials.