Combined effect of total ionizing dose and electromagnetic pulse on bipolar junction transistor

Electronic systems in complex radiation environments, such as space applications and nuclear power plants, face simultaneous threats from the cumulative damage of Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and the transient disturbances of Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). The potential combined effect between these two phenomena poses a severe challenge to device reliability. This paper investigates the combined effect of TID and single-pulse EMP on Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) through a systematic approach involving 60Co γ irradiation experiments and electrical fast transient injection experiments, supported by physical mechanism analysis using TCAD simulations. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrate a significant polarity dependence in the combined effect: TID significantly shortens the transient response duration when a positive polarity pulse is injected into the base, or a negative polarity pulse is injected into the collector. This paper systematically analyzes the mechanism of the combined effect of TID and single-pulse EMP on BJTs, providing a crucial theoretical basis and design guidance for the radiation hardening design in extreme radiation environments.