1/f noise in high current density NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions

Low frequency noise characteristics of epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions have been investigated. For all of our junctions with different current densities, the voltage noise power spectrum S/sub v/(f) showed a frequency dependence of 1/f type. The magnitude of the S/sub v/(f) exhibited two distinct types of dependency on the current density and AlN barrier thickness. We consider that this may result from a difference in the crystal structures of the AlN barrier by consulting with the barrier thickness dependence of tunnel barrier heights. We also estimated the 1/f noise parameter /spl eta/ using the Rogers and Buhrman's empirical theory for the S/sub v/(f), and investigated the relationship between the /spl eta/ and the current density J/sub c/ and the tunnel barrier thickness d/sub AlN/. The tunnel barrier was characterized by investigating the /spl eta/-d/sub AlN/ relation. It was found that the /spl eta/-J/sub c/ and /spl eta/-d/sub AlN/ relation in our high current density junctions, i.e, in the epitaxial tunnel junctions, are different from nonepitaxial tunnel junctions.