Non-planar metal-insulator-metal tunneling device for sensing and/or generation of electromagnetic radiation at terahertz, infrared, and optical frequencies and technology of its preparation

Abstract

In the present invention, one or more inventive designs and techniques allow formation of high speed complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process compatible tunneling devices that are formed on low dielectric loss sheet-substrates (such as silicon or germanium for infrared or quartz and sapphire for visible or near infrared) having the first and the second smooth planar surfaces and an intermediate surface in the form of a hole, or slit, or a side edge, which extends between and connects the first and second surfaces, so that deposited from opposite sides of the sheet-substrate the first metal layer followed by its oxidation or nanometer thickness tunneling dielectric coating and the second metal layer have an overlapped coupled area within the intermediate surface, thus forming a non-planar metal-insulator-metal (MIM) tunneling junction of low capacitance and high cut-off frequency, which is capable to operate at room temperature at terahertz, infrared, and even optical frequencies. Also included are methods of preparation of the non-planar MIM tunneling devices of the present invention as well as examples of practical applicability for manufacturing the devices for both reception and generation of terahertz, infrared, and optical radiation.