[Laser] What do you guys need??? (Radiation damage)

[Steve J. Noll]

It's important to define "radiation."
There's lots of kinds of "radiation."

I don't see how they could irradiate packages with an electron beam
and get any penetration.  Silicon photodiodes are used all the time
in X-ray detectors, so you can assume they are unaffected by that.
Iron-55 radiation (weak x-rays & beta particles) are sometimes used
to test avalanche photodiodes where I work - but I'm not involved
with that.  Anyway, it doesn't damage them.
If there was any damage I would expect you'd see it in the dark
current which is a common indication of health and easy to measure.


W2MXW wrote:
> 
> Can you test (or recommend a procedure for doing so at home) PDs for
> degradation by radiation exposure? (I just had ordered a few and they are
> being sent via USPS Priority Mail; I wonder if they are going to get
> irradiated and if so will this degrade them, and can they be tested for
> degradation?)
> I'm not sure if they are/have been irradiated or to what extent USPS is
> doing this but if they are I heard it would be by electron beam - can this
> method damage Si PIN PDs?
> What would the degradation mode be, if so: would the dark current increase,
> would there be deleterious effects on the lattice/dopant and/or would noise
> figure go thru the roof?
> 
> 73 es thanks de Jonathan W2MXW
>