Instrument for Radiation Testing/Screening Electronic Devices over an Extended Temperature Range.

Many military systems must be able to function over temperature ranges of -55C to 125C. Electronic devices within selected military systems must also be able to function in environments of long-term or high-intensity ionizing radiation. This program developed instrumentation and methodology that enables testing of electronic devices in such extreme conditions, using instrumentation compatible with the ARACOR Model 4100 Automatic Semiconductor Irradiation System. Instrumentation was developed to measure the integrated energy transmitted to an IC wafer die by a pulsed NdYAG laser beam. High and low temperature testing was found to be best achieved using a precision nitrogen gas forcing system. For Model 4100 Systems used for total-dose measurements, across the fall temperature range, a system combining a commercially-available, temperature-controlled chuck with an air stream was found to be best solution. For low temperature, high intensity radiation testing, temperature sensors on the wafer under test were found to be required for accurate temperature control. Keywords include Electronic devices, Military systems, Temperature range, Ionizing radiation, Radiation testing and Radiation screening.