The Effects of Radiation on Electronic Devices and Circuits

Radiation damage of semiconductor components constitutes a safety risk for the functioning of circuits when operated in a radiation-exposed environment. Despite the manifold dependences of the radiation damage, fundamental characteristic features are given so that sensitivity graduations of the active component spectrum can be established. A general description of the sensitivity and the most important parameter changes of devices is given by introducing the main damage mechanisms, as displacements of lattice atoms and ionization effects. Recently obtained results from experiments on the radiation susceptibility of charge coupled devices as well as on the influences of single component degradations on circuit behavior are presented