[en] A study has been made of the sensitivity to electron radiation damage of the Yb³⁺ sharp line emission spectrum at 77 K in zinc telluride which had been previously implanted by 50 kV Yb⁺ ions and given suitable post-implantation annealing treatment. The Yb³⁺ emission intensity at 1013.6 nm was found to increase with electron damage above a certain threshold energy and, if taken as a monitor of the production of cation displacements, yields a threshold incident electron energy of 145 keV for enhancement (= 5.6 eV zinc displacement threshold energy). Warming the electron-damaged samples to temperatures greater than 160⁰C allows complete removal of the defects produced by the electron damage. Analysis of the intensity decreases as a function of electron fluence for those Yb³⁺ emission peaks which are reduced by damage show the rare earth excitation process to be indirect. (author)