On the relationship between the bulk recombination lifetime and the excess [formula omitted] noise in silicon p-n junction diodes

Abstract

In this paper, the relationship between the bulk recombination lifetime and the excess 1 f noise in Si n +p junction diodes is investigated. Two types of behaviour can be distinguished: for low-lifetime substrates ( τ < 10 μs), the low-frequency noise spectral density is found experimentally to obey a power law of the kind S I ∼ τ 0.18±0.05. For high lifetime diodes on the other hand, not such a relationship is observed, indicating a different origin of the underlying noise sources. These findings will be compared and discussed with previously proposed theoretical and empirical relationships.