n-type Ge/Si antennas for THz sensing

Ge-on-Si plasmonics holds the promise for compact and low-cost solutions in the manipulation of THz radiation. We discuss here the plasmonic properties of doped Ge bow-tie antennas made with a low-point cost CMOS mainstream technology. These antennas display resonances between 500 and 700 GHz, probed by THz time domain spectroscopy. We show surface functionalization of the antennas with a thin layer of alpha-lipoic acid that red-shifts the antenna resonances by about 20 GHz. Moreover, we show that antennas protected with a silicon nitride cap layer exhibit a comparable red-shift when covered with the biolayer. This suggests that the electromagnetic fields at the hotspot extend well beyond the cap layer, enabling the possibility to use the antennas with an improved protection of the plasmonic material in conjunction with microfluidics. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Ge-on-Si plasmonics technology shows potential in providing compact and low-cost solutions for manipulating THz radiation. Doped Ge bow-tie antennas exhibit resonances between 500 and 700 GHz, with surface functionalization and silicon nitride cap layer protection allowing for improved protection of the plasmonic material in microfluidic applications.