TID

In this fourth and final lecture, the Professor will discuss radiation impacts on the entire crystal oscillator assembly.. Up until now we have not discussed the effects of radiation on oscillator components other than the quartz crystals. Radiation effects on other electronic components is a more complicated subject, because all active devices (semiconductors, transistors, digital electronic devices, etc.) are subject to degradation due to several types of radiation. Some of the major types of radiation of interest are: TID Total Ionizing Dose (TID) is the cumulative absorbed dose in a given material resulting from the energy of ionizing radiation at…

In this third lecture, the Professor will review the four regions of the “spacescape” and how the radiation levels are an important consideration in device selection. Defining the Spacescape The “spacescape” can be defined as comprising four distinct regions. In a whitepaper published in 2020, several key parameters are discussed that are considered in making the optimum crystal oscillator selection for each region – phase noise & jitter; size, weight & power (SWaP); stability; and radiation tolerance. When it comes to the latter, this chart defines to industry standard for total ionizing dose (TID) radiation in each region. Environment or…

In this second lecture, the XOProf will discuss the processes used to optimize crystal oscillator performance in the face of potentially damaging levels of radiation in space applications. Radiation Effects on the Quartz Crystal There are two separate things to consider, first, the effects of radiation on quartz crystal resonators, and then the effects of radiation on all other components in the oscillator circuit. In this section we will address the former. Concerning the quartz crystal itself, the good news is that, unlike many electronic components, the quartz crystal resonator will not die, it will not cease to operate due…

In this first “lecture” on this important topic, the Professor will define what is meant by radiation, what types of radiation are potential causes of damage and how radiation levels are characterized and quantified. Radiation Basics First, what do we mean by radiation? For our purposes, radiation is the transmission of energy through space in the form of either subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves. Subatomic particles include electrons, neutrons, protons and ions. Just for confusion purposes, electrons are sometimes referred to as beta particles and helium ions as alpha particles. Electromagnetic waves, in ascending order of frequency and descending order of wavelength include:  radio…