NEUTRON DAMAGE EFFECTS IN NOISE DIODES.
Abstract
The effect of neutron radiation on small avalanche diodes has been investigated. Many of the diode characteristics were investigated before, during, and after irradiation with neutrons. The characteristics investigated were pulse rate as a function of time, pulse rate as a function of capacitance, pulse rate as a function of temperature, junction capacitance as a function of voltage, and reverse current as a function of reverse voltage. Typically three orders of magnitude increase in the diode pulse rate was observed with fast annealing occurring within 50 milliseconds of the neutron event. The analysis of pulse rate as a function of time showed that one cannot predict in advance the type of damage that will occur in a diode because of the statistical nature of the experiment. Activation energy was determined to vary between 0.8 and 1.04 electron volts. The breakdown voltage tended to decrease between 0.1 and 1 volt. Annealing procedures to return the diode to its respective original characteristics were investigated and shown to remove the trapping centers to a high degree. Many circuits and methods of making the various tests were also developed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0820164
Entities
People
- D. H. Shadel
- H. D. Southward
- H. T. Cates
- W. W. Granneman
Organizations
- University of New Mexico