The Stochastic Origin of Random Telegraph Noise

Lately, random telegraph noise (RTN) has been deemed, via specific mathematical metrics, to be possibly deterministic-chaotic rather than stochastic, with severe implications for applications that leverage the RTN stochastic nature. Yet, this was claimed by analyzing a limited number of RTN traces. Here, we analyze several RTN traces measured in different devices and conditions, mathematically generated traces and traces resulting from advanced simulations of RTN in metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures. It is shown that the mathematical metrics employed to reveal the deterministic-chaotic nature of RTN are not robust enough to support that claim. Complex RTN is likely to result from inherently stochastic processes embedded in a deterministic multi-body system which could show stochastic chaos, but hardly any determinism.