California Institute of Technology

Arizona State University

Blayne Tolleson

Philippe C Adell

Hugh Barnaby

The disclosure describes a method for modeling excess base current in irradiated bipolar junction transistors (BJTs). The method includes quantifying defect-related electrostatic effects of a BJT device to help improve accuracy in predicting an irradiated excess base current of the BJT device. The method can be adapted to model the excess base current of a lateral P-type-N-type-P-type (LPNP) BJT device in depleted and/or accumulated surface potential states. The predicted excess base current may be used to qualify or disqualify the BJT device or an electrical circuit including the BJT device for use in a space system(s) as a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) component. By modeling the excess base current based on quantifying and utilizing the defect-related electrostatic effects, it may be possible to accurately predict a total-ionizing-dose (TID) response of the BJT device, thus enabling faster and lower-cost qualification of a COTS component(s) for use in the space system(s).

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Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Blayne Tolleson