| Interest in observing astronomical phenomena within the terahertz frequency spectrum has driven demand for extremely sensitive heterodyne receivers. Radio astronomers use observatories such as the 12 meter Kitt Peak telescope in Arizona and the James Clerk Maxwell telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii to probe molecules and dust in interstellar clouds, the dynamics of star formation, proto-planetary discs, and other astronomical phenomena. Additional terahertz applications include atmospheric spectroscopy, remote sensing, bio-particle detection, and terahertz medical imaging. Novel devices for heterodyne mixing, such as ultra-thin silicon chips and hot-electron bolometers (HEBs), will extend the experimental capabilities of receivers into the terahertz frequency domain.; We developed and integrated several submillimeter-wave technologies that improve the design and assembly of terahertz receivers. The first of these, ultra-thin silicon chips with gold beam leads, is an innovative approach for mounting non-linear circuit elements and other microwave circuit structures within a terahertz waveguide receiver. These chips will also facilitate the development of large format arrays of terahertz receivers, which integrate multiple receivers onto a single micromachined array frame. The second involves the fabrication of phonon-cooled and diffusion-cooled HEBs, which have device dimensions of less than a quarter-micron. These new bolometer fabrication processes rely on electron-beam lithography to define sub-micron device dimensions. This dissertation demonstrates the functionality of the ultra-thin silicon chips as well as the hot-electron bolometers, and sets the stage for radio frequency testing of these technologies in a 585GHz receiver. |
