Antenna-sub harmonic mixer block and terahertz image scanner including the same

An image scanner comprising a transmitting cluster, a receiving cluster, and a scanning module, and

• wherein the receiving cluster includes antenna-sub harmonic mixer blocks in a form of a plurality of arrays disposed on a PCB substrate having the same ground surface and a conductive enclosure surrounding the antenna-sub harmonic mixer blocks, and
• wherein each of the antenna-sub harmonic mixer blocks includes:
• a dielectric block disposed on the PCB substrate having the ground surface;
• an antenna including a first antenna patch provided on the dielectric block and having a metal patch and a slot, and a second antenna patch provided on the dielectric block, spaced apart from the first antenna patch to surround the first antenna patch, and configured to receive a ground voltage at the same potential as the ground surface of the PCB substrate;
• an RF ground wire disposed on the dielectric block and connected from the first antenna patch to a surface having the same potential as the ground surface;
• an RF switching stage disposed on the dielectric block, connected to the first antenna patch, and configured to provide a switching ON operation or a switching OFF operation in conjunction with the RF ground wire depending on a magnitude of a local signal LO;
• an LO filter stage provided on the dielectric block, connected to the RF switching stage, and formed of a metal pattern to filter a signal received through the antenna;
• a local signal generator connected to the LO filter stage and configured to generate and provide the local signal LO;
• and
• an IF filter stage connected to the LO filter stage in parallel with the local signal generator and formed of a metal pattern to filter signals other than a baseband signal;
• and
• wherein the conductive enclosure configured to surround the dielectric block on the PCB substrate, and in which only an area vertically overlapping with the antenna is open.