The effects of 199 MeV proton radiation damage on CdZnTe photon detectors

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:513133

Hull, E L ^[1]; Pehl, R H ^[2]; Varnell, L S ^[3]

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1. Indiana Univ. Cyclotron Facility, Bloomington, IN (United States)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)
3. Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)

Four CdZnTe detectors were irradiated with, 199 MeV protons to simulate the damaging radiation in space. The gamma-ray spectra of {sup 241}Am and {sup 57}Co as well as the detector leakage currents were monitored at room temperature to assess the effects of radiation damage. Surprisingly, after a fluence of a few x 10{sup 8} p/cm{sup 2}, gamma-ray peak shifts and resolution degradation became visible. After a fluence of 5 x 10{sup 9} p/cm{sup 2} the degradation was quite dramatic. An analysis of these effects clearly demonstrates that radiation damage causes electron trapping in CdZnTe detectors. No increase in leakage current or electronic noise was observed. Radiation damage effects in CdZnTe and germanium detectors are compared. CdZnTe detectors are {approximately}250 times more sensitive to radiation damage than germanium detectors per unit charge-drift distance.

• OSTI ID: 513133
• Report Number(s): CONF-961123--; CNN: Grant NAGW-3718
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
CDTE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
LEAKAGE CURRENT
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PROTON BEAMS
SPACE VEHICLES
ZINC COMPOUNDS