Spoof surface plasmon polaritons based on-chip sensor for dielectric detection.

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics
• Materials Science
• Microwave Engineering

Background:

• Millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensing requires compact, on-chip solutions.
• Traditional waveguides face limitations in miniaturization and integration.
• Spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) offer unique electromagnetic properties for subwavelength confinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact millimeter-wave on-chip sensor for dielectric detection.
• To leverage SSPPs for enhanced sensing capabilities in integrated circuits.
• To achieve thickness-insensitive dielectric sensing with adjustable operating parameters.

Main Methods:

• Utilized gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology.
• Designed a novel sensor structure based on traditional half-mode substrate integrated waveguides (HMSIW).
• Analyzed dispersion characteristics using electromagnetic simulations.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a compact on-chip sensor based on SSPPs.
• Achieved easily adjustable operating frequency and bandwidth.
• Obtained linear sensing of relative dielectric constants, independent of film thickness.
• Showcased strong field confinement leading to low coupling and reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Conclusions:

• The proposed SSPP-based sensor is a flexible and effective solution for on-chip dielectric detection.
• The thickness-insensitive property and low coupling make it highly suitable for integrated circuit applications.
• This technology advances millimeter-wave sensing for material characterization and on-chip system integration.