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Title: Compound semiconductor detectors for X-ray astronomy: Spectroscopic measurements and material characterization

Book ·
OSTI ID:323897
; ;  [1]
  1. European Space Agency, Noordwijk (Netherlands). Space Science Dept.; and others

The use of some specific compound semiconductors in the fabrication of high energy X-ray detectors shows significant potential for X-ray astrophysics space missions. The authors are currently investigating three high purity crystals--CdZnTe, GaAs and TlBr--as the basis for future hard X-ray detectors (above 10 keV). In this paper the authors present the first results on CdZnTe and GaAs based detectors and evaluate the factors currently still constraining the performance. Energy resolutions (FWHM) of 0.9 keV and 1.1 keV at 14 keV and 60 keV, respectively, have been obtained with an epitaxial GaAs detector, while 0.7 keV and 1.5 keV FWHM were measured at the same energies with a CdZnTe detector. Based on these results it is clear, that the next generation of X-ray astrophysics missions now in the planning phase may well consider extending the photon energy range up to {approximately} 100 keV by use of efficient detectors with reasonable spectroscopic capabilities.

OSTI ID:
323897
Report Number(s):
CONF-971201-; TRN: 99:004423
Resource Relation:
Conference: 1997 fall meeting of the Materials Research Society, Boston, MA (United States), 1-5 Dec 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1998; Related Information: Is Part Of Semiconductors for room-temperature radiation detector applications 2; James, R.B. [ed.] [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States)]; Schlesinger, T.E. [ed.] [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)]; Siffert, P. [ed.] [Lab. PHASE/CNRS, Strasbourg (France)]; Dusi, W. [ed.] [Inst. TESRE/CNR, Bologna (Italy)]; Squillante, M.R. [ed.] [Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc., Watertown, MA (United States)]; O`Connell, M. [ed.] [Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)]; Cuzin, M. [ed.] [LETI/CEA, Grenoble (France)]; PB: 681 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 487
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English