Nano-Engineering of Detector Surfaces to Offer Unprecedented Imager Sensitivity to Soft X-rays and Low Energy Electrons

Technical Report · Sat Oct 19 04:00:00 EDT 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1570932· OSTI ID:1570932

Looker, Quinn Michael ^[1]; Sanchez, Marcos O. ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The focus of this document is to record the learning and process development achieved by the completion of the Nano-Engineering of Detector Surfaces to Offer Unprecedented Imager Sensitivity to Soft X-rays and Low Energy Electrons LDRD. The goal of this effort was to study different silicon detector surface preparation methods such as ion implant parameters, and the addition of a quantum 2-layer superlattice. Enabling the preparation of the surface of silicon detectors (front side illuminated or bonded backside illuminated) increases the responsivity of the diode to shallowly absorbed photons. This increased sensitivity in turn allows for greater fidelity in imaging events that emit low soft X-rays or low energy electrons. Prior work has focused on passivating the surface of a silicon detectors with thin layers (tens of nm thick) of materials to reduce surface recombination sites. Measurements of visible light quantum efficiency, electron responsivity, and pulsed x-ray response indicate that detectors with a 2- layer superlattice enjoy a significant benefit over equivalent detectors using an ion implant at the illuminated surface.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 1570932
• Report Number(s): SAND--2019-12417; 680361
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY