Electronic circuits used in many space, military, and nuclear power systems may be exposed to various levels and time profiles of neutron radiation. It is essential for the design and fabrication of such circuits that test methods be available that can determine the vulnerability or hardness (measure of nonvulnerability) of components to be used in them. A determination of hardness is often necessary for the short term (≈100 μs) as well as long term (permanent damage) following exposure. See Practice E722.

1.1 This guide defines the requirements and procedures for testing silicon discrete semiconductor devices and integrated circuits for rapid-annealing effects from displacement damage resulting from neutron radiation. This test will produce degradation of the electrical properties of the irradiated devices and should be considered a destructive test. Rapid annealing of displacement damage is usually associated with bipolar technologies.

1.1.1 Heavy ion beams can also be used to characterize displacement damage annealing (1) , but ion beams have significant complications in the interpretation of the resulting device behavior due to the associated ionizing dose. The use of pulsed ion beams as a source of displacement damage is not within the scope of this standard.

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.