Facile activation of a GaAs substrate with electron beam irradiation for THz photoconductive antenna

Abstract

Abstract One of the most important technological challenges that photoconductive devices in terahertz systems encounter is the viability of cost-effective and large-scale device production. We introduce an economical and mass-producible approach to fabricating a substrate material for photoconductive devices. By using an electron beam irradiator, the material properties of GaAs were engineered in a controllable manner, achieving comparable performance to that of a well-known photoconductive substrate, LT-GaAs. THz emission of the irradiated substrates was tested and found to be superior to a commercial device in terms of high-power THz signal emission and ability to withstand a high bias voltage.