Effects of neutron irradiation on current gain and noise in silicon avalanche photodiodes

The authors report on an experimental study of the effects of fission neutron irradiation on a silicon avalanche photodiode, which is a photodetector that is often used as the front end of a receiver in a fiber-optic link. Measurements indicate that there is a degradation in the current gain and a decrease in the multiplication noise after irradiation. Some recovery is found to occur after three days. The device, however, continues to behave linearly after irradiation.<
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