A novel on-wafer resistive noise source

Abstract

We describe a novel on-wafer resistive noise source (ORNS) suitable for noise parameter characterization of microwave devices using the cold noise power measurement technique. The noise source can enhance measurement accuracy by providing a calibrated noise temperature directly at the device reference plane. A procedure to determine the excess noise ratio of the noise source is presented. Noise figure measurements performed up to 40 GHz with the on-wafer noise source and with a commercial coaxial noise source are in good agreement, thereby validating the technique. The novel source is effective as a noise standard up to millimeter-wave frequencies.Index Terms-Microwave and mm-wave IC, noise measurement, noise parameters, on-wafer characterization.

Extraction of an avalanche diode noise model for its application as an on‐wafer noise source

“…Therefore, the standard microstrip cannot meet the requirement. An aperture-coupled multilayer microstrip antenna (ACMMA) possesses wide band and, furthermore, 40% fractional impedance bandwidth has been obtained [2]. In addition, this type of configuration has the following advantages [2,3]:…”

“…1) without requiring an input coaxial-to-on-wafer adapter, therefore, a correction of the input-adapter losses is not necessary and the inaccuracies associated with the measurement of its insertion-loss are reduced; (ii) the ENR level at the on-wafer reference plane is higher, thus reducing noise figure measurement uncertainty. A number of devices have been proposed in the literature as on-wafer noise sources, for example, avalanche diodes [1], resistive devices [2], and Cold-FETs [3]. In [1], the ENR of the avalanche noise diode is computed from its noise temperature, which is measured by using a receiver calibrated with cryogenic and room-temperature standards.…”

“…In [1], the ENR of the avalanche noise diode is computed from its noise temperature, which is measured by using a receiver calibrated with cryogenic and room-temperature standards. In [2], the ENR of the resistive device is obtained by measuring the device noise power with a receiver, whose noise factor has been previously obtained using a commercial calibrated noise source.…”

Noise model of a reverse‐biased cold‐FET applied to the characterization of its ENR

“…Noise sources based on active devices such as FETs in a one-port configuration have been proposed in the literature [1][2][3] as an alternative to avalanche-noise diodes (normally included in coaxial and waveguide noise sources) [4,5] and other devices [6]. In [1], a FET is used as an equivalent "cold" source, and more recently a FET-based cold/hot noise source [2] has been proposed, where the selection between states is obtained through device-bias control and switching the device input port between the gate-source and drain-source ports, respectively.…”

“…While FET-based noise sources present the advantage of being easily compatible with microwave on-wafer measurement systems [7], it is necessary to know their excess noise ratio (ENR) in a wide frequency range, in order to be able to calibrate the noise receiver. To determine the noise-source ENR, usually its output-noise temperature is measured with a receiver previously calibrated, using a well-known room-temperature and/or cryogenic noise reference [1][2][3][4]6]. In a preceding work [5], it has been shown that equivalent noise models for the noise devices are useful in the determination of their ENR, because they help to reduce measurement uncertainty, in particular, when the device's reflection-coefficient magnitude is high, as occurs in unmatched on-wafer FET or avalanche-diode-noise sources.…”