Abstract
The effect of electron irradiation on different types of commercially available light emitting diodes has been investigated. The following phenomena were studied as a function of electron fluences up to 1015 e/cm2: changes in light intensity vs. voltage and current voltage characteristics, lens darkening and surface effects. The following materials were investigated in order of increasing radiation resistance: epitaxial GaAs, diffused GaAs, GaP, GaAsl-xPx and SiC. Two types of pulsed GaAs laser diodes and a continuously operated YAG:Nd laser rod were also irradiated. The two most sensitive devices, epitaxial GaAs light emitting diodes and YAG:Nd lasers, showed significant losses in light output at fluences below 1012e/cm2