The Development of Radiation-Resistant RF Tags for Use at Nuclear Power Plants

RF tags based on RFID (Radio-frequency Identification) technology have been widely used in various fields including power plant construction and maintenance for the purpose of improving the identification and traceability of the many components in the facility. To date, various types of tags have been developed, including tags that are resistant to chemicals or high-temperature environments, which are used in specialized fields. When considering widespread use of RF tags in nuclear power plants, there is a concern about the effects of radiation on the RF tags, because the data stored in the tag may receive radiation damage, resulting in corruption of data. Here, we describe a newly designed RF tag that achieves resistance to radiation damage by attaching a radiation shield layer and incorporating automatic data-correction software. This radiation-resistant RF tag has been tested under real radiation exposure fields to verify the intended radiation-resistant functions. It is expected that the use of these radiation-resistant RF tags with a data reader and database system will increase the capabilities of RF tags applied to nuclear power plants and it is also expected to lead to reductions in worker radiation exposure doses.