I tried to read the Wikipedia article on radiation hardening electronics, but I couldn’t understand it when it tried to explain how radiation effects electronics. So explain like I’m 5, how does radiation effect electronics?
Bonus question, how does radiation hardening work?
In: Physics
Most electronics these days have semiconductor devices in them like transistors. The semiconductor that is most commonly used is the element silicon, and the atoms are organized in a crystal lattice, like when you line up marbles in rows and columns. This silicon is usually doped, meaning that every few atoms, it has an atom of something other than silicon, like boron or phosphorus but more on that later. The atoms in the lattice are held in place by their valence electrons.
Radiation, which is high energy photons, can “collide” with one of those electrons and knock it out of place, causing the atom also get knocked out of place. In this way, a defect can form in the lattice.
The dopant phosphorus has one more electron than is needed in bonding, and the dopant boron has one less. The extra electron that the phosphorus has is callef a “free electron” because it can easily move around the lattice without causing damage to it. This happens a photon of visible light, particularly green light, “collides” with it and knocks it in to a higher energy state. This is like knocking a planet or moon out of orbit. The boron has one less electron than silicon so provides a spot for the free electron to move in to. This is how solar panels work.
Transistors are more complex but rely on electrons being in certain regions at certain operating points to function properly.
When the lattice in semiconductor devices becomes damaged by defects, the free electrons cannot move in the intended way or to the intended region and the device fail to work properly.
Latest Answers