Picosecond photoconductors as radiation detectors

Conference · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5824241

Wagner, R S; Bradley, J M; Hammond, R B

The authors have developed a new class of extremely highspeed radiation detectors. They are simple and inexpensive to fabricate, rugged, and reliable. They have demonstrated their sensitivity to gamma-rays, x-rays, soft x-rays, charged particles, and light and have obtained response speeds of <100 ps. Their current response is proportional to incident-radiation intensity. The detectors are not used for detecting single particles or measuring particle energy. Their current response is due to the modulation of the conductance of the semiconductor crystal by transient-radiation events. The devices are fabricated from bulk-semiconductor crystals and achieve picosecond response by fast carrier relaxation in the crystals. Fast carrier relaxation is obtained by intentionally introducing trapping and recombination centers into the semiconductor crystal by impurity doping or radiation damage. Here the authors discuss the design, fabrication, and characterization of InP:Fe, GaAs, and neutron-damaged InP:Fe and GaAs photoconductive radiation detectors. They also present a model for transient response in InP:Fe photoconductors.

• Research Organization: Electronics Div., Los Alamos National Lab., Los Alamos, NM 87545
• OSTI ID: 5824241
• Report Number(s): CONF-851009-
• Journal Information: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Vol. NS-33:1; Conference: IEEE nuclear science symposium, San Francisco, CA, USA, 23 Oct 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
RADIATION DETECTORS
DAMAGING NEUTRON FLUENCE
DESIGN
FABRICATION
PHOTOCONDUCTORS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYSTAL DOPING
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GAMMA RADIATION
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
IRON COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RELIABILITY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SENSITIVITY
SOFT X RADIATION
VISIBLE RADIATION
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NEUTRON FLUENCE
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
X RADIATION
440101* - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors &amp; Radiometric Instruments
440200 - Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems