MOSFET noise modeling and parameter extraction

Abstract

With the recent advances in CMOS technologies, the MOSFETs offer competitive low noise performance at high frequencies comparable with their bipolar counterparts and become attractive candidates even for challenging high frequency applications with their low cost and high integration level. Therefore, the transistor model accuracy becomes a crucial factor for predicting the RF circuit performance accurately in a broad frequency range. An overview of a high frequency noise modeling approach based on a direct parameter extraction technique is presented in this paper. Moreover, the presented parameter extraction methods are evaluated by means of broadband noise parameter and S-parameter measurements. A temperature noise model predicts all four noise parameters at any frequency and can be used to determine the dominant noise source of the small-signal equivalent circuit. The model can be verified by comparing the measured noise parameters with the simulation results over a broad frequency range. Finally, a practical circuit example of an amplifier using a 0.12 μm CMOS technology at 24 GHz is given.