Silicon-on-insulator membrane SIS mixers for Africa millimeter telescope Band 6+7 operation

Conference item

We present the design, simulation, fabrication, and initial characterization efforts toward a broadband superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer covering ALMA Bands 6 and 7 (211–373 GHz) on a single chip. The mixer employs a twin-junction SIS architecture integrated on a 10 µm-thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) membrane substrate and is intended as a building block for future sideband-separating and dual-polarization receivers. To support the fabrication of these devices, front-side SIS circuit processing, SOI membrane release techniques, and gold beam-lead integration have been developed and refined. Initial device-release trials have successfully produced mixer chips with intact membranes and beam leads, while experimental setup for cryogenic mixer characterization has also been completed.

Authors: Kim, J-H; Boussaha, F; Chaumont, C; Piscitelli, M; Firminy, J

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Acceptance date: 2026-06-22
• Event title: 35th International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT) 2026
• Event location: Santiago, Chile
• Event website: https://isstt2026.org/
• Event start date: 2026-03-22
• Event end date: 2026-03-27
• Language: English