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Experimental characterization of the cyclostationary low-frequency noise of microwave semiconductor devices under large signal operation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2010

Antonio Augusto Lisboa de Souza ,
Emmanuel Dupouy ,
Jean-Christophe Nallatamby ,
Michel Prigent  and
Juan Obregon
Antonio Augusto Lisboa de Souza*
Affiliation:
DEE, CT, UFPB, Cidade Universitária, CEP:58059-900, João Pessoa/PB, Brazil.
Emmanuel Dupouy
Affiliation:
XLIM – CNRS IUT GEII, 7 rue Jules Valles, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde, France.
Jean-Christophe Nallatamby
Affiliation:
XLIM – CNRS IUT GEII, 7 rue Jules Valles, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde, France.
Michel Prigent*
Affiliation:
XLIM – CNRS IUT GEII, 7 rue Jules Valles, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde, France.
Juan Obregon
Affiliation:
XLIM – CNRS IUT GEII, 7 rue Jules Valles, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde, France.
*
Corresponding authors: A. Souza and M. Prigent Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
Corresponding authors: A. Souza and M. Prigent Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper presents a detailed experimental analysis of the cyclostationary properties of low-frequency (LF) noise sources of microwave bipolar devices, in order to improve the LF noise description in compact models. Such models are used to help designers on predicting circuit performances such as phase and amplitude noise in oscillators. We start by reviewing the most relevant experimental and simulation results on the subject, and then investigate the model of conductance fluctuations proposed to explain the 1/f noise of carbon resistors. This simple linear case serves as a basis for understanding the complex case of a non-linear device under large-signal periodic operation. We then present the large-signal small-signal analysis of a pumped junction, focusing on the process of converting the fundamental LF noise process, a current fluctuation, into voltage fluctuations. We show why a stationary noise model would lead to an increase of the voltage noise observed around DC when the device is pumped, while the voltage noise would decrease if a cyclostationary model was used. A great amount of experimental data is presented not only to support our analysis, but also as a mean to distinguish between the two noise processes under consideration: stationary or cyclostationary. The goal of our noise measurement technique was to maximize the difference between those two concepts. Throughout the paper, we revisit some known concepts and show how some experimental results may lead to misinterpretations.

Keywords

1/f noiseCyclostationarityParametric effectMicrowave semiconductor devices
Type
Original Article
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 225 - 233
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2010

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References

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