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

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.