Figures of uncertainty for noise measurements

In this paper we introduce two figures of uncertainty (FOU) for the assessment of noise figure measurements. These figures of uncertainty are readily determined if the scattering parameters of the device under test (DUT) are available. The two FOUs provide two types of information. On one hand side, they allow for a simple consistency check of the two measurements. On the other side, they give a measure for the accuracy and reliability of the noise figure, which in many cases may be limited due to second stage corrections. We suggest to include the two FOUs routinely as supplements for noise figure measurements.