Noise effects in bipolar junction transistors at cryogenic temperatures: Part I

Part I of this investigation involves theoretical and experimental characterization of the noise performance of modern silicon planar bipolar junction transistors (BJT's) above the 1/f noise frequency region in a temperature range of 60-300 K and for several difference bias conditions. At temperatures below approximately 110 K, an excess noise source as measured by the equivalent noise resistance R
N
, referred to the input of the device, common-base configuration, is revealed. This excess source, resulting from a generation-recombination process within the base region of the device, is shown to have a linear dependence on the base current and base resistance as KI
B
²
rb'b
²
, and an exponential dependence on temperature.