[en] High-frequency operation of electronic lamp ballasts is made possible by the controlled reduction of carrier lifetime in the base-collector junction of the two power transistors present in the circuit. The electron irradiation allows excellent control of the lifetime and, as a consequence, of the power transistors storage time on which the main operation parameters, working frequency and lamp power, depend. The recovery of the radiation induced defects, caused by the thermal processes that the irradiated devices undergo during packaging operations, has been investigated. (author)