Thermal Noise Characterization, Modeling and Instrumentation for Emerging Applications

该提案旨在解决新兴应用（例如量子计算）中纳米级晶体管中的热噪声问题，这些应用中的信号强度较弱，因此需要高信号灵敏度。电子设备中的热噪声对接收器前端、模拟、混合信号甚至数字电路的信噪比 (SNR)、动态范围、数据采集速率和功耗设置了根本限制。在申请人最近的工作中，表明以降低的电源电平偏置以缓解过热的现代晶体管会遭受晶体管SNR急剧下降到传统噪声理论从未预见或预测的水平。晶体管小型化带来的好处不仅受到实际制造成本的限制，更根本上还受到热噪声和量子效应的限制。 在接下来的五年中，我们将通过开发能够预测最近观察到的行为的新热噪声模型，并开发校准这些模型的仪器来解决纳米器件中的信号灵敏度问题。这项研究对于不同器件架构（FinFET、TFET、JLFET 和 HEMT）的纳米级硅和化合物半导体器件至关重要，并将为材料、工艺和设计工程师提供所需的工具，以更好地了解限制器件灵敏度的因素，从而缓解其影响。我们的工作还将允许准确预测新兴低噪声、低功耗设备和应用（例如空间和卫星通信或毫米波生物电子成像系统）中的噪声。为了实现这一雄心勃勃的目标，基于我们的专业知识，拟议的研究计划分为三个部分：（1）纳米器件的基于物理和工程建模； (2) 快速准确的器件噪声和小信号参数提取分析和数值技术； (3) 改进的辐射计克服了当前线性度差和精度有限的限制，为未来的高性能微波和毫米波电子系统提供更好的噪声和小信号测量。 拟议的研究计划解决了加拿大在健康诊断方面需要低电磁辐射沉积的社会经济需求，以及空气和气候方面的环境需求，需要高精度辐射计来监测温室气体排放。随后向仪器仪表公司转让低噪声电路设计技术有利于加拿大的电子和制造业。该提案中的研究工作预计将产生一个独特的框架，通过涉及仪器、表征和建模领域，加强多学科合作，并为毫米波频率的新兴无线应用推进创新的低噪声和低功耗协同设计，向高素质人员传授必要的技能。

This proposal is to tackle the thermal noise in nano-scale transistors for emerging applications (such as quantum computing) which require high signal sensitivity because of the weak signal strength in these applications. Thermal noise in electronic devices sets the fundamental limitation for receiver front ends, analog, mixed-signal, and even digital circuits for their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), dynamic range, data acquisition rate, and power consumption. In the applicant's recent work, it was shown that modern transistors biased at reduced power supply levels to relieve overheating suffer from a dramatic degradation of transistor's SNR to a level that was never foreseen nor forecasted by conventional noise theories. The benefit resulting from the miniaturization of transistors will be limited not only by manufacturing costs in practice, but also more fundamentally by thermal noise and quantum effects. In the next five years, we will address this issue of signal sensitivity in nanometric devices by developing new models for thermal noise that are able to predict the recently observed behaviour, and by developing instruments to calibrate these models. This research is critical for nm-scale silicon and compound semiconductor devices of different device architectures (FinFET, TFET, JLFET, and HEMT) and will provide material, process, and design engineers the tools needed to better understand the factors that limit device sensitivity for their mitigation. Our work will also allow for the accurate prediction of noise in emerging low-noise, low-power devices and applications such as space and satellite communication or mm-wave bio-electronic imaging systems. To realize this ambitious goal, the proposed research program, building on our expertise, is divided into three parts: (1) physics-based and engineering modeling of nanometric devices; (2) fast and accurate analytical and numerical techniques for device noise and small-signal parameter extraction; and (3) improved radiometers that overcome current limitations of poor linearity and limited accuracy for better noise and small-signal measurements for future high-performance microwave and millimeter-wave electronic systems. The proposed research program addresses Canada's socio-economic need in health diagnosis requiring low electromagnetic radiation deposition, and its environmental need in air and climate requiring high-precision radiometers to monitor the greenhouse gas emissions. The subsequent technology transfer in low-noise circuit design to instrumental companies benefits the electronic and manufacturing industries in Canada. The research work in this proposal are expected to yield a unique framework that will impart requisite skills to highly qualified personnel by involving instrumentation, characterization, and modeling fields, enhancing multi-disciplinary collaboration, and advancing innovated low-noise and low-power co-design for emerging wireless applications at mm-wave frequencies.