LOW-FREQUENCY NOISE IN SCHOTTKY-BARRIER DIODES

The low-frequency excess noise in Schottky barrier diodes has been investigated. In the ideal case where the saturation current is completely determined by thermionic emission of electrons, no 1/f{hook} noise will be produced in the barrier. The presence of trap states in the depletion region can lead to generation-recombination noise. At sufficient high forward currents 1/f{hook} noise can be generated in the series resistance of the Schottky diode. Deviations from the ideal diode, for example as a result of edge effects, produce 1/f{hook} noise and increase at the same time the ideality factor. It is empirically found that the 1/f{hook} noise level decreases very rapidly if the ideality factor tends to unity. © 1979.