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A new simulator to calculate the dose deposited in electron beam crosslinking processes of cables is presented, which implements original models to simulate accurately complex irradiation schemes like racetrack, figure of eight, and rotation. The package relies on the Monte Carlo simulation and includes tools to account for the three-dimensional geometry of the accelerators and of the conveyors, a unit to optimize the beam energy for a given process configuration, as well as an editor to visualize and quantify the dose distribution within the irradiated objects. The capabilities and the accuracy of the novel simulator are discussed on the basis of two realistic examples.

Emerging applications like solar, automotive, railway traction, and nuclear impose to electrical cables increased performances in terms of dependability. Therefore, new tools and procedures are needed to design manufacturing processes for improved reliability and less parameter variability. This paper demonstrates the use of a dedicated simulation tool for 3D dose optimization in electron beam cross-linked cables to quantify the effect of process variability on parameters that are relevant for the product lifetime. The considered process parameters are twist angle and eccentricity of the cable.

The reliability of electric cables and wires using electron beam crosslinked polymers as isolator materials strongly depends on the accuracy in predicting the dose deposited during irradiation. This paper presents the main reliability issues that can be encountered in field operation, experimental data showing the criticality of the dose parameter, and proposes the use of a built-in reliability approach based on Monte Carlo simulation to design optimum processing conditions. The main requirements and advantages of the Monte Carlo based methodology are discussed in conjunction with the limitations of the traditional heuristic calculation procedure. Finally, Monte Carlo simulation is used for the first time to point out some relevant effects that occur during processing and that can lead to severe dose estimation errors.

Recent publications reported a surprisingly intensive dopant contrast arising in Secondary Electron SEM images of Silicon Carbide devices. This work gives an insight into the physics of the contrast generation and discusses the proper experimental setup to be used for the quantitative two-dimensional delineation of bipolar and homojunctions in Silicon Carbide devices.

In this work we compare the performance of Scanning Capacitance Microscopy and Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy for the characterization of doping profiles in semiconductor devices. Particular attention is devoted to parameters of paramount importance for the failure analysis and the characterization of silicon devices, like the quantitative one-dimensional profiling accuracy, the electrical junction delineation and the two-dimensional sub-micron imaging capability.