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Title: Pulsed irradiation of optimized, MBE grown, AlGaAs/GaAs radiation hardened photodiodes

Journal Article · · IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5698511

An AlGaAs/GaAs double heterojunction, mesa isolated, photodiode grown by molecular beam epitaxy was irradiated with 18 MeV electrons, 1 - 10 MeV x-rays, and neutrons from a pulsed reactor. Test results indicate that the AlGaAs/GaAs photodiodes generate approximately 10 - 20 times less photocurrent during exposure to a pulse of ionizing-radiation than radiation hardened silicon PIN photodiodes. Studies of neutron induced permanent damage in the AlGaAs/GaAs photodiode show only small changes in optical responsivity and a factor of 8 increase in leakage currents after exposure to 3.6 x 10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ and 900 krad gamma. The silicon PIN photodiode was exposed to only 28% of the fluence used on the AlGaAs photodiodes and we observed a 40% decrease in optical responsivity and a factor of 7000 increase in leakage current.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185
OSTI ID:
5698511
Journal Information:
IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Vol. NS-31:6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English