Generation-recombination noise analysis in heavily doped p-type GaAs transmission line models

Low-frequency noise measurements are performed on heavily doped p-type GaAs transmission line models. Excess noise exhibits 1/f noise and generation-recombination (GR) noise components. A study of the GR components vs device geometry shows the spectral densities due to contact resistances to be negligible. Thus the noise sources due to the volume resistances are predominant, and have to be located in the bulk layer or in the space-charge region of the devices. These two possibilities concerning the location of the GR noise sources are investigated. For both cases, expressions for the variance and the relaxation time associated to fluctuations in the charge carriers are given. The comparison between the experimental data with the theoretical results shows that the GR noise sources are located in all probability in the space-charge region. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.