Simulating Noise Performance of Advanced Devices down to Cryogenic Temperatures

Abstract

The aim of the present work is the development of a suitable neural network structure to compute the microwave noise parameters of High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT). The noise parameters (NP) here considered are the magnitude (|Γopt|) and phase (∠Γopt) of the optimum noise source reflection coefficient, the minimum noise figure (Fmin) and the noise resistance (Rn). By this procedure, we are able to reproduce the above noise parameters of several device types from only one measured scattering parameter set, one frequency point and one generic noise figure value at different bias and/or temperature conditions. The employed noise figure is that measured in input matched conditions (i.e. 50 Ω source impedance), namely F50. The trained network outputs were compared with data of noise measurements performed in our lab and the results have shown to be in a very good agreement. We observed that the difference occurring between the expected value of the noise parameters and the value calculated by the neural network is negligible. The procedure here presented is the most effective choice to avoid the need of any circuit simulations. Our neural network allows great time saving, thus leading to a rapid and complete characterization of the active microwave device under test with a remarkable generalization feature.