1/f noise of Sb-heterostructure diodes for pre-amplified detection

The 1/f noise of a series of Sb-heterostructure diodes with varying area has been measured. Standard power law formulas for the frequency and voltage dependence were found adequate to summarize the data. An inverse dependence of voltage noise spectral density on the area was determined, consistent with the simple resistor model. Simulations using the noise formula predict that pre-amplification gain in the 30 to 35 db range can produce a sub-1 degrees K noise equivalent temperature difference in realistic imaging cameras.