Abstract

We investigate two types of GaAs microwave detector: point contact diode with n-n+ junction and planar one, which involves asymmetrically necked thin semiconductor film containing n-n+ junction in its narrowest part. The voltage sensitivity of the GaAs point contact diode, in contrast to those made from Ge or Si, increases with the strength of the microwave electric field due to the increase of both the electron energy relaxation time and the diffusion coefficient at room temperature. Investigating the voltage-power characteristic of the planar diode we have determined experimentally that the voltage sensitivity of the planar detector weakly depends on frequency within the 26 - 140 GHz range.