EERF 6330- RF IC Design

Noise Fundamentals

Prof. Bhaskar Banerjee

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Outline
Noise as a statistical quantity
Noise Power Spectral Density

Input Referred Noise

Noise in Transistors, Resistors
Noise Figure Calculation
Noise Parameters

Reading: RF Microelectronics, B. Razavi

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Noise as a Random Process

The avg current = VB/R but cannot estimate/calculate

instantaneous value.
Estimate the avg power over long enough time.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Measurement of Noise Spectrum

To measure the energy content at a given frequency, we filter

out everything else and measure the power over 1 Hz
bandwidth at the frequency of interest.
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Power Spectral Density (PSD) of Noise

Two-sided

One-sided

Total area under Sx(f) represents the avg power carried by x(t)

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Example of Noise Spectrum

A resistor of value R1 generates a noise voltage whose onesided PSD is given by
where k = 1.38 10-23 J/K denotes the Boltzmann constant
and T the absolute temperature. Such a flat PSD is called
white because, like white light, it contains all frequencies with
equal power levels.
(a) What is the total average power carried by the noise
voltage?
(b) What is the dimension of Sv(f)?
(c) Calculate the noise voltage for a 50- resistor in 1 Hz at
room temperature.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Example of Noise Spectrum

(a) What is the total average power carried by the noise voltage?
The area under Sv(f) appears to be infinite, an implausible result
because the resistor noise arises from the finite ambient heat. In
reality, Sv(f) begins to fall at f > 1 THz, exhibiting a finite total energy,
i.e., thermal noise is not quite white.
(b) What is the dimension of Sv(f)?
The dimension of Sv(f) is voltage squared per unit bandwidth (V2/Hz)
(c) Calculate the noise voltage for a 50- resistor in 1 Hz at room
temperature.
For a 50- resistor at T = 300 K:

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Effect of Transfer Function on Noise

Define PSD to allow many of the frequency-domain operations used

with deterministic signals to be applied to random signals as well.
Noise can be modeled by a series voltage source or a parallel current
source
Polarity of the sources is unimportant but must be kept same
throughout the calculations

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Example of Device Noise

Sketch the PSD of the noise voltage measured across the parallel
RLC tank depicted in figure below.

Modeling the noise of R1 by a current source and noting that the

transfer function Vn/In1 is, in fact, equal to the impedance of the tank,
ZT , we write

At f0, L1 and C1 resonate, reducing the circuit to only R1. Thus, the
output noise at f0 is simply equal to 4kTR1. At lower or higher
frequencies, the impedance of the tank falls and so does the output
noise.
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Resistor as an Energy Source?

What happens if both are at the same temperature?
Suppose R2 is held at T = 0 K

This quantity reaches a max if R2 = R1

(Maximum Power Transfer Theorem)
Then, PR2,max = kT (Available Noise Power) = -173.8 dBm/Hz @ 300 K

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Theorem about Lossy Circuit

If the real part of the impedance seen between two terminals of a passive
(reciprocal) network is equal to Re{Zout}, then the PSD of the thermal noise
seen between these terminals is given by 4kTRe{Zout}

An example of transmitting antenna, with radiation resistance Rrad

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Noise Figure of Lossy Circuits

LC-filter, needs to have well-defined resistive input/output impedances

A Linear Time Invariant passive with real input and output impedance can
be represented using a Thevenin equivalent circuit with the PSD given by
4kTRout.*
*cf. A. Papoulis, Probability, Random Variables, and Stochastic Processes, 3rd ed., New York: McGraw Hill, 1991.
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Noise in MOSFETs

Thermal noise of MOS transistors operating in the saturation

region is approximated by a current source tied between the
source and drain terminals, or can be modeled by a voltage
source in series with gate.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Induced Gate Noise

At very high frequencies thermal noise current flowing
through the channel couples to the gate capacitively to
generate gate-induced noise current.

Example: If W = 1 m, L = 45 nm,
and sheet resistance = 15 , then
the gate resistance, RG = 333 .

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Flicker Noise

A MOSFET having a small-signal voltage source of magnitude V1

in series with its gate is equivalent to a device with a current
source of value gmV1 tied between drain and source.
Thus,

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Noise in Bipolar Transistors

Bipolar transistors contain physical resistances in their base, emitter, and

collector regions, all of which generate thermal noise. Moreover, they also suffer
from shot noise associated with the transport of carriers across the base-emitter
junction.
In low-noise circuits, the base resistance thermal noise and the collector current
shot noise become dominant. For this reason, wide transistors biased at high
current levels are employed.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Input Referred Noise

Noise of a 2-port system can be modeled by 2 correlated

noise generators:
- a series voltage source (vn)
- a parallel current source (in)

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Input Referred Noise

To find the equivalent noise sources, we evaluate the output noise
$ power by shorting and opening the input.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Input Referred Noise: Example

Calculate the input-referred noise of the common-gate stage depicted in
figure below (left). Assume I1 is ideal and neglect the noise of R1.

Noise Voltage

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

Noise Current

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Importance of Impedances in NF

The output noise of a circuit depends on the output

impedance of the preceding stage.
Modeling the noise of the circuit by input-referred sources, we
observe that some of noise current flows through Z1,
generating a noise voltage at the input that depends on |Z1|.
Thus, the output noise, Vn,out, also depends on |Z1|.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Calculating Noise Figure

SN Rin
NF =
SN Rout
(Vn + In RS )2
NF = 1 +
4kT RS
For simulation purposes, we can rewrite NF as:
2
Vn,out
1
NF =
A2 4kT RS

where, A = total voltage gain

from Vin to Vout and Vn,out is
the total output noise voltage

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Calculating Noise Figure

NF must be specified with respect to a source impedance-typically 50

Reduce the right hand side to a simpler form:
2
Vn,out
1
NF =
A2 4kT RS
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Calculating Noise Figure

Either of the following:
Calculate the output noise due to the amplifier, divide it by the
gain, normalize it to 4kTRs and add 1 to the result.
Divide total output noise by the gain from Vin to Vout and
normalize the result to the noise of Rs.

Valid even if no actual power is transferred. So long as the

derivations incorporate noise and signal voltages, no
inconsistency arises in the presence of impedance
mismatches or even infinite input impedances.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Calculating Noise Figure - Example: A Resistor

2
Vn,out

= 4kT (RS ||RP )

RP
A=
R S + RP

(RS + RP )2
1
RS

N F = 4kT (RS ||RP )

=1+
2
RP
4kT RS
RP
To minimize NF, RP should be large.
To maximize power transfer RP = RS => NF = 2 ~ 3 dB!
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Calculating Noise Figure - Example: Amplifier

Determine the noise figure of the common-source stage shown in below (left)
with respect to a source impedance RS. Neglect the capacitances and flicker
noise of M1 and assume I1 is ideal.

This result implies that the NF falls as RS rises. Does this mean that, even
though the amplifier remains unchanged, the overall system noise
performance improves as RS increases?!

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Noise Figure of Lossy Circuits

2
Pin
Vin
Rout
L=
= 2
Pout
V T H RS

2
Vn,out

2
RL
= 4kT Rout
(RL + Rout )2

VT H
RL
Av =

Vin RL + Rout
2
Vin
1
N F = 4kT Rout 2
=L
VT H 4kT RS
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Source Resistance

For RS = 0, the voltage noise is the important component.

For RS = , the current noise is the important component.
For large RS, prefer low current noise (MOS), for small RS select low
voltage noise (Bipolar).
For a given RS, there is an optimal ratio of voltage to current noise for low
noise figure.
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Classical Noise Theory

Lets assume that in and vn are uncorrelated.

Total output Noise Voltage:

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Classical Noise Theory

All noise represented as single noise source:

Noise Figure:

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Classical Noise Theory

Define:
which gives,

Optimum RS:

Minimum Noise Figure for ROPT:

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Classical Noise Theory

Hence, under the assumption that the in and vn noise sources are
uncorrelated, the minimum noise figure, Fmin:

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Classical Noise Theory

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Classical Noise Theory

Rn basically the noise sensitivity parameter

Rate of deviation from Fmin is governed by the Rn term. We

want Rn to be as small as possible as then we can tolerate
impedance mismatch at the input with lesser effect on Fmin.
Ropt is dependent on Frequency, Bias and Device Size. Very
important to optimize that with respect to all of them.

Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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Noise Parameters
Four Noise Parameters:
Minimum Noise Figure (NFmin)
Noise Resistance (Rn)
Optimum Source Conductance (Gs,opt)

NF

Optimum Source Susceptance (Bs,opt)

NFmin

Rn
Bs,opt

Bs

Gs,opt
Gs
Bhaskar Banerjee, EERF 6330, Sp2013, UTD

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