TIME-RESOLVED ANNEALING STUDIES OF SINGLE NEUTRON-IRRADIATED AVALANCHE PHOTODIODES

The dark count rate of avalanche photodiodes was used to monitor singl e neutron created damage and annealing. The experiments achieve a maxi mum time resolution of 10 ms. Irradiations are carried out at differen t temperatures between 5 degrees C and 25 degrees C. Monotonic forward annealing after the neutron interaction was observed with two distinc t decay times of 75 ms and 725 ms, respectively. Stepwise forward anne aling was observed after this initial period. For some cases reverse s tepwise annealing on a time scale up to 30 minutes was detected. The m onotonic annealing is discussed in connection with the motion of vacan cies in the damage region. The stepwise annealing is suggested to be r elated to single defect configuration changes.