Effects of Radiation on the Noise Performance of Transistors

The predominant transistor noise sources are surveyed and related to both surface and bulk permanent damage radiation effects. The medium and high frequency noise performance of FET and bipolar transistors is not strongly affected by radiation until the devices themselves begin to fail. Low frequency 1/f noise is affected by relatively light radiation doses, but only with the junction FET can one make quantitative predictions of post-radiation noise performance. An additional noise source of very large amplitude is present while radiation induced photocurrent is being generated in transistors.