Phenomenological Modeling of Passive Intermodulation (PIM) due to Electron Tunneling at Metallic Contacts

A methodology is proposed for the phenomenological modeling of passive intermodulation (PIM) generation due to electron tunneling in metallic contacts in the signal transmission path of an RF/microwave system. The proposed model aims at enhancing the understanding of this type of PIM source through the investigation of the impact of surface roughness and skin effect on the levels and frequency dependence of PIM interference. Furthermore, the proposed methodology is such that it provides for the development of PIM source models for metallic contacts that are compatible with general-purpose electromagnetic and network analysis-oriented, non-linear circuit simulators.