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The impact on the extracted low‐frequency noise (LFN) parameter values due to LFN variability in CMOS devices is investigated. First, it is demonstrated that the noise level dispersion follows a log normal statistical distribution. Then, based on this feature, it is explained why the mean values from the linear data are different from the mean values (or median values) calculated from the log noise data. Finally, the consequence of this finding in terms of LFN characterisation issues and Monte Carlo LFN variability circuit simulation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of dynamic variability due to low-frequency fluctuations on the operation of CMOS inverters, which constitute the basic component of SRAM cell, is investigated. The experimental methodology to characterise the effect of dynamic variability in a CMOS inverter is first established based on fast I-V measurements of the load current following the application of a ramp input voltage Vin(t). It is shown that, for small ramp rise times, the load current characteristics IDD(Vin) exhibit a huge sweep-to-sweep dispersion due to low-frequency noise. The impact of such dynamic variability sources on the inverter's output characteristics Vout(Vin) is finally demonstrated, revealing a 20% noise margin reduction for the smallest inverter cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]