The potentialities of AlGaN/GaN nanodevices as THz detectors are analyzed. Nanochannels with broken symmetry (so called self switching diodes) have been fabricated for the first time in this material system using both recess-etching and ion implantation technologies. The responsivities of both types of devices have been measured and explained using Monte Carlo simulations and non linear analysis. Sensitivities up to 100 V/W are obtained at 0.3 THz with a 280 pW/Hz1/2 noise equivalent power.

A detailed study of GaN-based planar asymmetric nanodiodes, promising devices for the fabrication of room temperature THz Gunn oscillators, is reported. By using Monte Carlo simulations, an analysis of the static I-V curves and the time-domain evolution of the current obtained when varying some simulation parameters in the diodes has been made. Oscillation frequencies of hundreds of GHz are predicted by the simulations in diodes with micrometric channel lengths. Following simulation guidelines, a first batch of diodes was fabricated. It was found that surface charge depletion effects are stronger than expected and inhibit the onset of the oscillations. Indeed, a simple standard constant surface charge model is not able to reproduce experimental measurements and a self-consistent model must be included in the simulations. Using a self-consistent model it was found that to achieve oscillations wider channels and improved geometries are necessary.

RF characterization of InAs self-switching diodes (SSDs) is reported. On-wafer measurements revealed no roll-off in responsivity in the range of 2-315 GHz. At 50 GHz, a responsivity of 17 V/W and a noise-equivalent power (NEP) of 150 pW/Hz 1 =2 was observed for the SSD when driven by a 50 X source. With a conjugately matched source, a responsivity of 34 V/W and an NEP of 65 pW/Hz 1 =2 were estimated. An antenna-coupled SSD demonstrated a responsivity of 0.7 V/W at 600 GHz. The results demonstrate the feasibility of zero-bias terahertz detection with high-electron mobility InAs SSDs up to and beyond 100 GHz. V

In this work, recent advances in the design of GaN planar Gunn diodes with asymmetric shape, socalled self-switching diodes, are presented. A particular geometry for the nanodiode is proposed, referred as V-shape, where the width of the channel is intentionally increased as approaching the anode. This design, which reduces the effect of the surface-charges at the anode side, is the most favourable one for the onset of Gunn oscillations, which emerge at lower current levels and with lower threshold voltages as compared to the standard square geometry, thus enhancing the power efficiency of the self-switching diode as sub-millimeter wave emitters

An experimental demonstration of GaN-based asymmetric nanodiodes as direct and heterodyne detectors up to 0.69 THz has been performed at room temperature. Responsivities of 2 and 0.3 V/W in a free-space configuration were obtained at 0.30 and 0.69 THz, respectively. An intermediate frequency (IF) signal has been measured up to 40 and 13 GHz in the same frequency ranges. The characterization of the nanodiodes as mixers did not show any deviation from linearity between the RF input power and the IF output. Monte Carlo simulations, used to estimate nanodevice intrinsic conversion losses of 27 dB at 0.69 THz, have confirmed these results.Index Terms-Frequency conversion, microwave circuits, mixers, sensor systems and applications detectors semiconductor detectors.

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In this contribution we present the results from the simulation of an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure diode by means of a Monte Carlo tool where thermal effects have been included. Two techniques are investigated: (i) a thermal resistance method (TRM), and (ii) an advanced electro-thermal model (ETM) including the solution of the steady-state heat diffusion equation. Initially, a systematic study at constant temperature is performed in order to calibrate the electronic model. Once this task is performed, the electro-thermal methods are coupled with the Monte Carlo electronic simulations. For the TRM, several values of thermal resistances are employed, and for the ETM method, the dependence on the thermal-conductivity, thickness and die length is analyzed. It is found that the TRM with well-calibrated values of thermal resistances provides a similar behavior to ETM simulations under the hypothesis of constant thermal conductivity. Our results are validated with experimental measurements finding the best agreement when the ETM is used with a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity.

The potentialities of AlGaN/GaN nanochannels with broken symmetry (also called self-switching diodes) as direct and heterodyne THz detectors are analyzed. The operation of the devices in the free space heterodyne detection scheme have been measured at room temperature with RF up to 0.32 THz and explained as a result of high-frequency nonlinearities using Monte Carlo simulations. Intermediate-frequency bandwidth of 40 GHz is obtained.