High-Frequency Noise Characterization and Modeling of SiGe HBTs

Abstract

For heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), the noise correlation influences the noise parameters and is therefore relevant for transistor modeling, especially at sufficiently high frequencies. In order to predict the noise correlation, it is necessary to determine the noise transit time in the noise transport model. In this paper, the noise correlation and noise transit time are predicted from the high current model without measured noise data. The four noise parameters are calculated based on the predicted noise transit time and the Y-parameter noise calculation methodology. The extracted noise transit time is validated by the measured result over bias and temperature, which is determined by fitting NFmin of the silicon-germanium (SiGe) HBT between Y-parameter noise calculation methodology and tuner-based noise measurement. It was found that the noise transit time is independent of frequency but dependent on bias and temperature. Also, the results indicate that the calculated four noise parameters based on the extracted noise transit time have a good agreement with the tuner-based noise measurement.