A micromachined 585 GHz Schottky mixer

Standard semiconductor fabrication processes have been used to form waveguide components for the submillimeter wavelength range. A 585 GHz fundamentally pumped Schottky mixer with record performance demonstrates this technology. It consists of an etched silicon horn, a diced waveguide, and a lithographically formed microstrip channel for the diode circuit. The block dimensions are precisely controlled and extremely sharp. The measured mixer noise temperature is 1200 K (DSB), which is equivalent to the best result obtained with standard metal machining.