Flicker noise can be generated by a random walk of mobile electrons in interfaces via interface states. It is proposed that these electrons interact with surface phonons to form polarons, which have very low mobilities. The flicker-noise model is a general one and may be used to explain flicker noise on MOSFET's, clean Si surfaces, metallic resistors, grain boundaries, amorphous layers, electron tubes, metal-insulator-metal junctions, diodes, and transistors. The dependence of the noise intensity is calculated as a function of device parameters such as interface state density, source-drain current, source-drain voltage, gate voltage, oxide layer thickness, grain size, temperature, size of the cathode, diode current, base current, and the surface recombination in the emitter-base area. Hooge's parameter is calculated quantitatively for several devices.