Radiation effects — The whys and hows

The response of electronic systems to radiation environments depends upon the circumstances of exposure. Space and orbiting satellites are generally more concerned with the long term exposure to environments than are military electronic applications. Two criteria are generally of importance to the design engineer, he wants the electronics to survive, and he wants it to continue to operate properly. Each application has its own criteria, its own problems and its own conditions of survival. The paper answers the following questions: What is radiation? Where does it come from? Why are designers concerned? How does radiation effect electronic components? What can be done to eliminate or minimize radiation effects? How can predictions be made to determine the effectiveness of minimization efforts? and What predictive techniques are available?