EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR RADIATION ON A HIGH-RELIABILITY SILICON POWER DIODE II - ANALYSIS OF FORWARD ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS

摘要

One hundred power diodes were irradiated in the NASA Plum Brook Reactor. The changes in forward electrical characteristics due to nuclear radiation were interpreted in terms of decreasing minority carrier lifetimes. The increase in forward voltage at high current densities was the most significant change. The pre- and post-irradiation data were analyzed in terms of n+-p-p+-type junction theory. The critical quantity was the ratio of the base width to the high-level diffusion length. Control of the ratio suggests a means of increasing the radiation tolerance of this type diode. The effects of space-charge limiting were also considered.