SIRAD: an irradiation facility at the LNL Tandem accelerator for radiation damage studies on semiconductor detectors and electronic devices and systems

This article describes the essential features of the SIRAD facility of the INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. This facility, located at the 15 MV Tandem accelerator, is dedicated to radiation damage studies (bulk damage, total dose and Single Event Effects) induced by protons and heavy ions on semiconductor detectors, electronic devices and systems. SIRAD is at present routinely used by groups involved in detector development for elementary particle physics, in electronic device physics and in space applications.