Electrical Pulse Burnout of Transistors in Intense Ionizing Radiation

Tests examining possible synergistic effects of electrical pulses and ionizing radiation on transistors were performed and energy/power thresholds for transistor burnout determined. The effect of ionizing radiation on burnout thresholds was found to be minimal, indicating that electrical pulse testing in the absence of radiation produces burnout-threshold results which are applicable to IEMP studies. The conditions of ionized transistor junctions and radiation induced current surges at semiconductor device terminals are inherent in IEMP studies of electrical circuits.