Selection of Test Site Locations for LongTerm Cosmic Radiation Tests

Abstract:
Neutron radiation can lead to sudden destruction of power semiconductor devices. Especially vulnerable are applications at high altitudes, like photovoltaic power plants in some areas of the world and in aviation. In order to gain the failure rate as an important system design parameter, long-term tests can be conducted to get a realistic radiation environment and therefore highly reliable results. This paper gives an overview of the methodic selection of an appropriate test site location including considerations on the test setup and possible verifications of accelerated tests.