The results of a detailed study of the degradation of commercial linear bipolar ICs due to irradiation at four dose rates are presented. The time dependence of the degradation rate at the different dose rates is shown to be consistent with a model that describes a mechanism for defect generation in the devices used in this study. Based on this model, an accelerated test procedure for bipolar devices is proposed.

New experimental evidence is presented that supports a model that assumes two distinguishable types of positive oxide charge following x-irradiation. Two new experiments have been performed designed to separate the annealing properties of the two types of trapped positive charge. It is found that one type of trapped positive charge can be permanently removed at room temperature using substrate hot electron injection. The second type of trapped positive charge is found to be stable at temperatures up to 160°C

The effects of alternating bias anneals of MOS transistors following either x-irradiation or Fowler-Nordheim Tunneling have been studied. It is found that some of the generated defects can be repeatedly charged and discharged with a change of applied oxide field. Two models to explain this phenomenon are discussed. One assumes a single defect, the E' center. The other model assumes a two defect model. The results of this work are shown to be more consistent with the two defect model.

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