Spectral and random telegraph noise characterizations of low-frequency fluctuations in GaAs/Al/sub 0.4/Ga/sub 0.6/As resonant tunneling diodes

The origin of low-frequency noise in resonant-tunneling diodes is investigated through spectral and time-domain characterizations over a wide range of temperatures and biasing conditions. The experiments were conducted on devices fabricated on GaAs/Al/sub 0.4/Ga/sub 0.6/As material system. Detailed analyses on the temperature and bias dependences of the random telegraph noise and Lorentzian structures in the noise power spectral densities showed that the low-frequency excess noise arises from hopping conduction of electrons from the emitter to the quasi-bound states in the quantum well. The capture of an electron by a trap in the energy barrier causes fluctuations in the transmission coefficient of the electron due to the modulation of the barrier potential.>