Nonequilibrium 1/f γ noise in conducting films and contacts

Work on nonequilibrium flicker-noise (1/f ^γ noise or NEFN) in conducting films of various materials and in thin-film contacts is reviewed. Experimental methods for studying nonequilibrium flicker fluctuations by separating NEFN from the total noise are suggested. Published results on NEFN in metal and alloy films, Ni/Cr-film and Ta_xN_y-film resistors, and contacts are systematized. It is shown that various kinds of NEFN occur in conducting films. Depending on test conditions, external influences, and the film microstructure, both stationary and non-stationary NEFNs are observed. The use of 1/f ^γ noise measurements for nondestructively controlling the quality of thin-film conductors is substantiated. For most of the passive IC components (thin-film conductors, resistive layers, contacts), NEFN makes a much more informative quality indicator than equilibrium flicker-noise.