Numerical simulation of LF noise in semiconductor device using the transmission-line equivalent circuit of carrier transport model

Abstract

We propose a new physical simulation tool of GR and diffusion noise in semiconductor devices by introducing distributed Langevin noise sources into the transmission line equivalent circuit model of the fundamental transport equations, first proposed by Sah. The whole circuit is then introduced into a circuit simulator in order to perform full noise simulations of semiconductor devices. Commercially available simulators present considerable advantages in performing accurate DC, AC and transient simulations of semiconductor devices, including many fundamental and parasitic effects which are not generally taken into account in house-made simulators. A significant feature of this method is the integration of the physics-based device simulator and an electrical circuit simulator into a combined simulation environment. An extension of this model to homo-junctions and hetero-junctions is in progress as the simulation of cyclo-stationary noise sources with non-linear circuit simulation.