Why is 1/f resistance noise nearly universal in solids?

In plain words

Resistance fluctuations in metals and semiconductors follow a 1/f spectrum over many decades of frequency. A broad spread of slow defect relaxation times can produce this, but why that spread is so generic is open.

Precise statement

The empirical Hooge relation $S_R(f)/R^2 = \alpha_H/(N_c f)$, with $N_c$ the number of carriers, holds over many decades of $f$ in metals and semiconductors. The McWhorter and Dutta-Horn picture attributes the noise to thermally activated fluctuators with a broad distribution of activation energies. Determine whether this picture accounts for all classes of $1/f$ resistance noise (mobility versus number fluctuations, metals versus semiconductors), and if not, which classes need a different mechanism.

What would settle it

Systematic tests of the Dutta-Horn relation and of $\alpha_{H}$ against controlled defect density in several material classes, with the fluctuators identified microscopically.

Problems built on this one

Special cases

Revision history

Results

No results have been posted on this problem yet.

Post a result · how results are checked

Sign in to follow or save this problem

See also

Comments (0)

Comments are not records: they are not signed, stamped or logged. How comments work

No comments yet.

Sign in to comment.