• Journal of Semiconductor Engineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.119-124
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• 2021

Along with the needs for feasibility in the field of space applications, interests in radiation-hardened electronics is growing rapidly. Gallium nitride (GaN)-based devices have been widely researched so far owing to superb radiation resistance. Among them, research on the most abundant protons in low earth orbit (LEO) is essential. In this paper, proton irradiation effects on parameter changes, degradation mechanism, and correlation with reliability of GaN-based devices are summarized.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.3080-3087
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• 2023

Thermoelectric (TE) materials working in radioisotope thermoelectric generators are irradiated by neutrons throughout its service; thus, investigating the neutron irradiation stability of TE devices is necessary. Herein, the influence of neutron irradiation with fluences of 4.56 × 10¹⁰ and 1 × 10¹³ n/cm² by pulsed neutron reactor on the electrical and thermal transport properties of n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 and p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ thermoelectric alloys prepared by cold-pressing and molding is investigated. After neutron irradiation, the properties of thermoelectric materials fluctuate, which is related to the material type and irradiation fluence. Different from p-type thermoelectric materials, neutron irradiation has a positive effect on n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 materials. This result might be due to the increase of carrier mobility and the optimization of electrical conductivity. Afterward, the effects of p-type and n-type TE devices with different treatments on the output performance of TE devices are further discussed. The positive and negative effects caused by irradiation can cancel each other to a certain extent. For TE devices paired with p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ and n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 thermoelectric legs, the generated power and conversion efficiency are stable after neutron irradiation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.203-210
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• 2010

The $\underline{H}igh$ flux $\underline{A}dvanced$ $\underline{N}eutron$ $\underline{A}pplication$ $\underline{R}eact\underline{O}r$ (HANARO), an open-tank-in-pool type reactor, is one of the multi-purpose research reactors in the world. Since the commencement of HANARO's operations in 1995, a significant number of experimental facilities have been developed and installed at HANARO, and continued efforts to develop more facilities are in progress. Owing to the stable operation of the reactor and its frequent utilization, more experimental facilities are being continuously added to satisfy various fields of study and diverse applications. The irradiation testing equipment for nuclear fuels and materials at HANARO can be classified into capsules and the Fuel Test Loop (FTL). Capsules for irradiation tests of nuclear fuels in HANARO have been developed for use under the dry conditions of the coolant and materials at HANARO and are now successfully utilized to perform irradiation tests. The FTL can be used to conduct irradiation testing of a nuclear fuel under the operating conditions of commercial nuclear power plants. During irradiation tests conducted using these capsules in HANARO, instruments such as the thermocouple, Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT), small heater, Fluence Monitor (F/M) and Self-Powered Neutron Detector (SPND) are used to measure various characteristics of the nuclear fuel and irradiated material. This paper describes not only the status of HANARO and the status and perspective of irradiation devices and instrumentation for carrying out nuclear fuel and material tests in HANARO but also some results from instrumentation during irradiation tests.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1203-1209
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• 2011

In this paper, the degradation evaluation method of VLC (Visible Light Communication) wireless module after high dose rate gamma-ray irradiation using the thermal infrared camera is proposed. First, the heating characteristics of the active devices embedded in the VLC wireless module during the condition of normal operation is monitored by thermal infrared camera. By the image processing technique, the trends of the intensity of the heat emitted by the active devices are calculated and stored. The feature of the blob area including the area of the active devices in the thermal infrared image is extracted and stored. The feature used in this paper is the mean value of the gray levels in the blob area. The same VLC module has been gamma irradiated at the dose rate of about 4.0 kGy/h during 72 hours up to a total dose of 288 kGy. And then, the heating characteristics of the active devices embedded in the VLC wireless module after high dose gamma ray irradiation is observed by thermal infrared camera. The high dose gamma-ray induced degradation of the active devices embedded in the VLC module was evaluated by comparing the mean value of the blob area to the one of the same blob area of the VLC module before the gamma ray irradiation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.132-133
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• 2006

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3334-3341
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• 2023

We studied the irradiation effects of fast neutron generated by a 30 MeV cyclotron on the electrical and switching characteristics of NPT-IGBT devices. Fast neutron fluence ranges from 2.7 × 10⁹ to 1.82 × 10¹³ n/cm². Electrical characteristics of the IGBT device such as I-V, forward voltage drop and additionally switching characteristics of turn-on and -off were measured. As the neutron fluence increased, the device's threshold voltage decreased, the forward voltage drop increased significantly, and the turn-on and turn-off time became faster. In particular, the delay time of turn-on switching was improved by about 35% to a maximum of about 39.68 ns, and that of turn-off switching was also reduced by about 40%-84.89 ns, showing a faster switching.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.147-157
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• 1994

Valence or core electron excitations induced by Synchrotron radiation (SR) irradiation and ensuing chemical reactions can be applied for semiconductor processes i, e, deposition etching and modifications of thin film materials. Unique selectivity can be achieved by this photochemical reactions in deposition and etching. Some materials can be ecvaporated by SR irradiation which can be utilized for low temperature surface cleaning of thin films. Also SR irradiation significantly lowers the reaction temperature and photon activated surface reactions can be utilized for direct writing or projection lithography of electronic materials. This technique is especially effective in making nanoscale feature size with abrupt and well defined interfaces for next generation electronic devices.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2006

Local minority carrier lifetime control by means of particle irradiation is an useful technology for Production of modern silicon Power devices. Crystal damage due to ion irradiation can be easily localized by choosing appropriate irradiation energy and minority tarrier lifetime can be reduced locally only in the damaged layer. In this work, proton irradiation technology was used for improving the switching characteristics of a un diode. The irradiation was carried out with various energy and dose condition. The device was characterized by current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and reverse recovery time measurements. Forward voltage drop was increased to 1.1 V at forward current of 5 A, which was $120\%$ of its original device. Reverse leakage current was 64 nA at reverse voltage of 100 V, and reverse breakdown voltage was 670 V which was the same voltage as original device without irradiation. The reverse recovery time of device was reduced to about $20\%$ compared to that of original device without irradiation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.209-215
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• 2017

Fast neutron irradiation was used to improve the switching speed of a 600-V nonpunch-through insulated gate bipolar transistor. Fast neutron irradiation was carried out at 30-MeV energy in doses of $1{\times}10^8n/cm^2$, $1{\times}10^9n/cm^2$, $1{\times}10^{10}n/cm^2$, and $1{\times}10^{11}n/cm^2$. Electrical characteristics such as current-voltage, forward on-state voltage drop, and switching speed of the device were analyzed and compared with those prior to irradiation. The on-state voltage drop of the initial devices prior to irradiation was 2.08 V, which increased to 2.10 V, 2.20 V, 2.3 V, and 2.4 V, respectively, depending on the irradiation dose. This effect arises because of the lattice defects generated by the fast neutrons. In particular, the turnoff delay time was reduced to 92 nanoseconds, 45% of that prior to irradiation, which means there is a substantial improvement in the switching speed of the device.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2024

This study investigated the effect of Kr ion beam irradiation on the superconducting properties of Nb thin films, which are known for their high superconducting transition temperature (T_c) at ambient pressure among single elements. Using the Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) program, we analyzed the distribution of Kr ions and displacement per atom (DPA) after irradiation, finding a direct correlation between irradiation amount and DPA. In samples with stronger beam energy, deeper ion penetration, fewer ions remained, and higher DPA values were observed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the Nb (110) peak at 38.5° weakened and shifted with increasing irradiation. T_c decreased in all samples after irradiation, more significantly in those with higher beam energy. Irradiation raised resistivity of the film and lowered the residual-resistivity ratio (RRR). AC susceptibility measurements were also consistent with these findings. This research could potentially lead to more efficient and powerful superconducting devices and a better understanding of superconducting materials.