PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND CHARACTERISATION OF A NOVEL T-SHAPED NANO-ANTENNA ON DIAMOND LIKE CARBON MATERIAL

At a Glance

Metadata	Details
Publication Date	2016-01-27
Journal	Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Authors	Ahmad Bahar, Mohamed Ismaeel Maricar, Richard Richard
Institutions	De Montfort University
Analysis	Full AI Review Included

Technical Analysis and Documentation: T-Shaped Nano-Antennas on Diamond Substrates

Executive Summary

This research demonstrates the successful simulation and characterization of a novel T-shaped nano-antenna operating in the Terahertz (THz) frequency range (1 THz - 5 THz). While the study utilized Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) as the substrate, 6CCVD’s high-purity MPCVD diamond materials offer superior performance characteristics essential for practical THz device fabrication and commercialization.

Application Focus: Compact, ultra-wideband (UWB) nano-antennas for high-frequency applications including broadband communications, sensing, and energy harvesting.
Key Achievement: The T-shaped design achieved dual resonance (1.3 THz and 3.3 THz) and an operational bandwidth exceeding 100%.
Size Reduction: The nano-antenna design achieved a smaller physical size compared to traditional nano-antennas operating at THz frequencies.
Material Opportunity: The use of DLC (relative permittivity ε_r = 2.615) presents a direct opportunity for material upgrade. 6CCVD’s Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) provides significantly higher thermal conductivity and lower loss tangent, critical for minimizing power loss and managing heat in high-power THz systems.
6CCVD Advantage: We provide SCD and PCD substrates precisely matching the required nanoscale thickness (0.1 µm / 100 nm) and offer integrated metalization services necessary for patterning the T-shaped structure.

Technical Specifications

The following hard data points were extracted from the simulation and design parameters of the T-shaped nano-antenna:

Parameter	Value	Unit	Context
Operating Frequency Range	1 - 5	THz	Target range for UWB performance.
Resonant Frequencies	1.3 and 3.3	THz	Dual resonance points achieved by the design.
Operational Bandwidth	> 100	%	Achieved by the T-shaped nano-antenna.
Substrate Material Used	Diamond Like Carbon (DLC)	N/A	Material used for simulation analysis.
Substrate Thickness (H)	100	nm	Required thickness for nanoscale operation.
Relative Permittivity (ε_r)	2.615	N/A	Dielectric constant of the DLC substrate.
Microstrip Line Impedance	50	Ω	Standard impedance for feeding the antenna.
Microstrip Line Width (W)	60	nm	Calculated width for the 50 Ω line.
Antenna Inner Length (L)	400	nm	Key dimension influencing resonant frequency.
Sectorial Angle (θ)	60	°	Design parameter for the T-shape structure.
Simulated Gain (1.3 THz)	1.8	dBi	Peak gain at the lower resonant frequency.
Simulated Gain (3.3 THz)	1.1	dBi	Peak gain at the higher resonant frequency.

Key Methodologies

The design and analysis relied heavily on computational electromagnetic modeling, focusing on achieving ultra-wideband performance and circular polarization at THz frequencies.

Design Software: Advanced Design System (ADS) software was utilized, employing the momentum model for electromagnetic simulation.
Structure: The antenna comprised three layers: a ground plate, a dielectric medium (DLC), and a T-shaped metallization layer.
Substrate Definition: The dielectric substrate was defined as DLC with a thickness of 100 nm and a relative permittivity (ε_r) of 2.615.
Feed Line Calculation: A 50 Ω microstrip line was calculated using the ADS line calculator, resulting in a width (W) of 60 nm.
Antenna Geometry: The T-shaped metallization layer was defined by an inner length (L) of 400 nm and a sectorial angle (θ) of 60°.
Parametric Investigation: The inner length (L) was varied to analyze its effect on the resonant frequency (finding that reducing L increased the resonant frequency).
Performance Metrics: Simulated results focused on return loss (S₁₁), gain, directivity, and operational bandwidth, comparing the novel T-shape favorably against traditional nano-antennas (e.g., bowtie).

6CCVD Solutions & Capabilities

The research highlights the need for ultra-thin, high-quality dielectric substrates capable of supporting nanoscale metallization for THz applications. 6CCVD specializes in providing the necessary MPCVD diamond materials and fabrication services to transition this simulated design into a high-performance physical device.

Applicable Materials: Upgrading from DLC

While the paper used DLC, 6CCVD recommends high-ppurity Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) for superior performance in high-frequency, low-loss applications.

Material Requirement	6CCVD Solution	Technical Advantage over DLC
High-Frequency Substrate	Optical Grade SCD	Extremely low dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) at THz frequencies, ensuring minimal signal attenuation.
Thermal Management	High Purity SCD	Thermal conductivity up to 2200 W/mK (5x better than DLC), critical for managing heat generated by high-power THz components.
Large Area/Cost Sensitivity	Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD)	Available in plates/wafers up to 125mm, offering a cost-effective solution for large-scale array fabrication while maintaining excellent thermal properties.
Active Devices	Boron-Doped Diamond (BDD)	Can be used for integrated active components (e.g., THz detectors or switches) alongside the antenna structure.

Customization Potential

6CCVD’s in-house fabrication capabilities directly address the precise dimensional and material requirements of this nanoscale antenna design:

Thickness Control: The paper requires a 100 nm (0.1 µm) substrate thickness. 6CCVD offers SCD and PCD films with precise thickness control ranging from 0.1 µm up to 500 µm, perfectly matching the required nanoscale dimensions.
Nanoscale Polishing: Achieving low surface roughness is critical for minimizing scattering losses at THz frequencies. 6CCVD guarantees ultra-smooth surfaces:
- SCD: Ra < 1 nm
- Inch-size PCD: Ra < 5 nm
Integrated Metalization: The T-shaped antenna requires a conductive metallization layer (400 nm length, 60 nm width). 6CCVD offers custom, high-precision metal deposition and patterning services:
- Available Metals: Au, Pt, Pd, Ti, W, Cu.
- Process: We can deposit adhesion layers (e.g., Ti/W) followed by high-conductivity layers (e.g., Au/Cu) and assist with lithographic patterning to achieve the required nanoscale geometry.
Custom Dimensions: While the antenna itself is nanoscale, 6CCVD can supply the base wafers/plates up to 125mm in diameter, suitable for large-scale fabrication runs or array integration.

Engineering Support

6CCVD’s in-house PhD team specializes in the material science of diamond for extreme environments (high frequency, high power, high temperature). We offer comprehensive consultation services to optimize material selection for similar Terahertz Nano-Antenna projects, ensuring the chosen diamond grade maximizes gain, bandwidth, and thermal stability.

For custom specifications or material consultation, visit 6ccvd.com or contact our engineering team directly.

View Original Abstract

<p>The rapid growth of nanotechnology has led to the development of many devices with advanced characteristics such as high frequencies Gunn diodes, transistors, nano-antennas etc. Nano-antenna applications are numerous and encompass a variety of fields such as broadband communications, imaging, sensing, energy harvesting, and disease diagnosis. In this research paper, A novel T-shaped nano-antenna was designed and its resonant frequency was analysed. Moreover, parametric investigation had been performed to figure out the effects of T-shaped nano-antenna on Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) material. The momentum model in Advanced Design System (ADS) software was used to simulate the novel T-shaped nano-antenna and the results were directly compared to other nano-antennas. Initial results suggests that the T-shaped nano-antenna had a higher bandwidth and smaller geometrical size when compared to the other nano-antenna at Terahertz frequency.</p>

Tech Support

Original Source

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6962741