Polysilicon Terahertz Thermal Detector Based on CMOS Technology

CMOS terahertz (THz) detectors have been extensively investigated because of their high integration, low cost, and high reliability. Here, we developed a novel THz thermal detector based on the standard CMOS process, which is composed of a SiO
2
block and an L-shaped polysilicon structure. When THz signals are radiated, due to the plasma coupling effect, the L-shaped polysilicon structure captures THz radiation energy, which increases the local temperature of the detector resulting in changes in polysilicon serpentine resistance value. Simulation results show that by optimizing the length of L-type polysilicon, the absorptivity of the detector can be significantly improved, and the effective thermal conductivity decreases, resulting in an elevation in its maximal temperature. This detector provides a good solution for the realization of a high-performance and low-cost on-chip THz imaging array.