3-D helical THz antennas

This paper presents a novel method of fabricating helical antennas, singular and arrayed, for the low-terahertz (0.1–2.7 THz) frequency range. The THz antenna structures are fabricated by using laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) to form fibers that can be grown into complex three-dimensional structures directly on semiconductor substrates. By focusing the laser through a diffractive optic, arrays of antennas can be fabricated at the same time. THz radiation detection devices can be realized by combining the LCVD antennas with MEMS microbolometers that convert received THz radiation into a change in resistance. Arrays of these antenna–bolometer pairs can be fabricated on the same substrate to realize a THz imaging device.