Samsung Electronics-Patent Issued for Terahertz Interaction Structure Including a Folded Waveguide with a Ridge Structure and Having an Electron Beam Tunnel Passing through the Ridge Structure

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Journal of Engineering -- FromAlexandria, Virginia, VerticalNews journalists report that a patent by the inventors Baik, Chan-wook (Yongin-si, KR); Ahn, Ho-young (Yongin-si, KR), filed on March 28, 2011, was published online on May 26, 2015.

http://www.4-traders.com/SAMSUNG-ELECTRONICS-CO-LT-6494906/news/Samsung-Electronics--Patent-Issued-for-Terahertz-Interaction-Structure-Including-a-Folded-Waveguide-20484753/

The patent's assignee for patent number 9041289 is SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. (Suwon-si, KR).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: "Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present description relate to electromagnetic wave circuits, and more particularly, to electromagnetic wave circuits having a ridge structure.

"The terahertz frequency band between a megahertz frequency band and an optical frequency band is a frequency band used in fields such as molecular optics, biophysics, medicine, spectroscopy, imaging, and security. However, in the related art, a terahertz oscillator or a terahertz amplifier for generating terahertz waves has not been developed due to physical and technological limitations. Recently, a terahertz oscillator or amplifier has been developed due to various theories and the development of fine-machining technology.

"In terahertz oscillators or amplifiers, interaction circuits are employed for oscillating or amplifying interaction between an electron beam and electromagnetic waves. The interaction circuit may be used in various fields provided that the energy of the electron beam is effectively converted into an electromagnetic wave and a range of an operating frequency is wide."

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, VerticalNews correspondents also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent: "According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a terahertz interaction circuit including a waveguide having a folded shape and in which an electromagnetic wave propagates; and an electron beam tunnel which is formed to penetrate through the waveguide and through which an electron beam passes, wherein the waveguide comprises a ridge portion in which at least a portion of a surface of the waveguide protrudes into the waveguide.

"A thickness of a portion of the waveguide at the ridge portion may be thinner than a thickness of a portion of the waveguide at either side of the ridge portion.

"The waveguide may have a periodically folded shape, and the electron beam tunnel may penetrate through the ridge portion of the waveguide.

"The ridge portion may be formed by protruding a center portion of a surface of the waveguide into the waveguide.

"The waveguide may have an I-shaped cross-section or a dumbbell cross-section.

"The waveguide may include at least one of a first ridge portion that is formed by protruding an upper center surface of the waveguide into the waveguide, and a second ridge portion that is formed by protruding a lower center surface of the waveguide into the waveguide.

"The ridge portion may have a rectangular cross-section or a semi-circular cross-section. The electron beam tunnel may have a square cross-section or a circular cross-section.

"Inner surfaces of the waveguide and the electron beam tunnel may be coated with a metal material.

"According to another aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method of fabricating a terahertz interaction circuit, the method including preparing a first substrate; preparing a second substrate, on which a part of a waveguide that has a folded shape and comprises a ridge portion and a part of an electron beam tunnel penetrating through the waveguide are formed, for layering on the first substrate; preparing a third substrate, on which the other part of the waveguide and the other part of the electron beam tunnel are formed, for layering on the second substrate; preparing a fourth substrate for layering on the third substrate; and bonding the first through fourth substrates to each other.

"The electron beam tunnel may be formed to penetrate through the ridge portion of the waveguide.

"The portion of the waveguide on the sides of the ridge portion may be extended into bonding surfaces of the first and fourth substrates.

"Bonding surfaces of the first through fourth substrates and inner surfaces of the waveguide and the electron beam tunnel may be coated with a metal layer.

"The first through fourth substrates may include silicon."

For additional information on this patent, see: Baik, Chan-wook; Ahn, Ho-young. Terahertz Interaction Structure Including a Folded Waveguide with a Ridge Structure and Having an Electron Beam Tunnel Passing through the Ridge Structure. U.S. Patent Number 9041289, filed March 28, 2011, and published online on May 26, 2015.