TID characterization of COTS parts using radiotherapy linear accelerators

Abstract

Ionizing radiation can disturb electrical and electronic devices. These devices need to be tested and qualified to operate under special environment conditions such those present in nuclear or space applications. Radiation effects must be considered when designing systems that must have high mean time between failures and are exposed to radiation. This paper shows how common radiotherapy linear accelerators (LINAC) can be used to characterize the Total Ionizing Dose (TID) effects on electronic devices. This work presents the principal radiation-induced effects on a Raspberry Pi Compute Module board, as good representative of typical Commercial Off-The-Shelf components. The Monte Carlo method used and the procedure for TID characterization are shown.