Impact of high ionizing dose on high-power white LEDs

Abstract

National audienceVisible cameras operating at 1 MGy of g radiation require radiation tolerant illumination system. Here, commercially available high-power white LEDs have been tested under X and g radiations. The light power of white commercial LED was shown to slightly decrease (less than 10 %) in post irradiation measurements. A closer analysis, based on the ABC model for efficiency droop, reveals that irradiation essentially increases the amount of trap assisted recombination, impacting the LED quantum efficiency mostly at low supply voltage. This suggests that favoring the LED operation at higher supply voltage could be a good strategy to enhance the radiation hardness of LED-based illumination systems