Imaging of radiation detectors properties by IBIC

Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) technique was used for imaging different properties of several radiation detectors. Small lateral dispersion of 3–5 MeV proton microbeam allowed us to investigate a scanned detector as an array of independent charge sensitive detectors. The detector response function at each point was separately analyzed. The mean and the median detected proton energy, as well as standard deviation, was calculated and connected to the local value of the detector collection efficiency and resolution. The progressive change (increase or decrease) of the collection efficiency with the time was studied. IBIC was also applied for imaging the incomplete charge collection layer in Si(Li) X-ray detectors.     

Ion beam induced charge characterisation of a silicon microdosimeter using a heavy ion microprobe

An ion beam induced charge (IBIC) facility has been added to the existing capabilities of the ANSTO heavy ion microprobe and the results of the first measurements are presented. Silicon on insulator (SOI) diode arrays with microscopic junction sizes have recently been proposed as microdosimeters for hadron therapy. A 20 MeV carbon beam was used to perform IBIC imaging of a 10 μm thick SOI device.     

Study of basic mechanisms of semiconductor devices using ion beam induced charge (IBIC) collection

A change of wave form of current transients induced by a single heavy ion was investigated around a pn junction with 8 μm width and 10 μm length as a function of the ion incident position. Three pn junctions were made on a 3 μm thick Si epilayer (1 × 10¹⁶/cm³) grown on Si substrate and were in a line along an aluminum electrode with 10 μm spacing between the adjacent junctions. The elements of a pn junction array were irradiated with a 1 μm diameter 15 MeV C⁺ heavy ion microbeam spacing steps by 3 μm. At a bias voltage of − 10 V, 148, 91, and 54 fC were collected at the pn junction center, and at 3 μm and 4 μm from the edge of the electrode, respectively. Internal device structure was examined by IBIC (ion beam induced current) method by using a 2 MeV He⁺ ion microbeam. From the IBIC spectrum and the IBIC image, the charge collected from the open space by the diffusion process was observed in addition to the charge collected from the depletion layer of the pn junction.     

Research of Si and GaAs diode structures by Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) collection

A Si pn junction diode and a GaAs Schottky diode were prepared for studying the basic mechanism of charge collection followed by high energy charged particle incidence in order to improve the resistance against single event upset. A 2 μm wide and 20 μm long rectangular Al electrode attached to a circular Al electrode with a 50 μm diameter was made on a 2.5 μm thick epilayer (minority carrier density 2 × 10¹⁵ /cm³). Both a Schottky electrode of Al (5 μm × 110 μm) and two ohmic electrodes of AuGe/Ni (110 μm × 110 μm) were made on a 2 μm thick epilayer (7.3 × 10¹⁵ /cm³) grown on a semi insulator GaAs substrate (1 × 10⁷ Ω cm). The internal device structure was examined by the IBIC (Ion Beam Induced Charge) method using a 2 MeV He⁺ ion microbeam. IBIC images clearly show an Al electrode, the SiO₂, and an epilayer. These results were then used to improve the qualities of the test diodes.     

Silicon detector response to heavy ions at energies of 1–2 MeV/amu

The response of silicon detectors has been measured for He, O, S, Cl, Br, Ag and Pb ions in the energy range 1–2 MeV/amu. Following deliberate, long exposures of the detector, a transient effect was observed for 140 MeV Br ions, in which the pulse height decreased with increasing ion dose and then partially recovered within an hour of the final exposure. Using brief, consecutive exposures, the effective energy for creating a detectable electron–hole pair was determined using the pulse height difference method. The energy deposited by ions in the ‘dead-layer' at the detector surface and energy loss via non-ionizing events was taken into account. For ions with atomic numbers 2Z17 and energies above the Bragg peak, the effective energy was found to decrease linearly with increasing electronic stopping power at first, and then to level off at 3.52 eV/electron–hole pair. For intermediate mass ions (17<Z40), at energies close to the Bragg peak, increases slightly (2%) with increasing stopping power. For the heaviest ions studied (Z40), whose energies are below the Bragg peak of the stopping power curve, increases strongly (10–20%), even though the electronic stopping power is approximately constant.     

Annular gas ionization detector for low energy heavy ion backscattering spectrometry

A gas ionization chamber for use in backscattering spectrometry has been built. It has the shape of a hollow cylinder and can be placed in-line with the incident ion beam. The entrance window for detected particles is composed of a circular array of silicon nitride membranes. A low noise preamplifier with cooled FET is used for charge amplification. The detector resolution has been measured for a variety of ions in the mass range from He to Si and for energies between 0.5 and 8 MeV. The energy resolution of the ionization chamber surpasses the one of a state-of-the-art silicon charged particle detector for all ions heavier than Li. For Si ions the improvement in resolution is more than a factor of 2. The device does not suffer from any radiation damage. For He particles around 1 MeV the resolution is between 13 and 16 keV (FWHM). Therefore the new detector is not only well suited for heavy ion backscattering spectrometry but can also be applied for standard He RBS, allowing the use of a single detector for all types of projectiles in a wide energy range.     

Schottky junctions on semi-insulating LEC gallium arsenide for X and γ-ray spectrometers operated at and below roomtemperature

This work deals with the study of a Schottky junction used as an X- and γ-ray detector in a spectrometer operated in the temperature range from -30°C to +22°C. The device (7 mm² active area and 100 μm thickness), fabricated on liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEG) semi-insulating Gallium Arsenide, is designed with a noninjecting ohmic contact which allows biasing voltages up to 550 V. At room temperature (22°C) the energy resolution is found to be relatively poor (15.5-keV full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) at 59.5 keV) due to the large junction reverse current, whose density (7-37 nA/mm² at V_bias=100-500 V) is within the typical values for Schottky junctions on SI LEC GaAs. By cooling of the detector to -30°C, the noise of the reverse current is drastically lowered, thus achieving electronic noise levels around 160-180 rms electrons (1.6-1.8 keV FWHM), At 500-V bias, the ²⁴¹Am spectrum has been resolved down to an energy of 4 keV with charge collection efficiency of cce=97% and a resolution of about 2-keV FWHM for the Np L lines and 2.4-keV FWHM for the 59.5-keV γ photons. The linearity of the detector has been measured to be better than ±0.6% within the explored energy range (14-59 keV). From the experimental spectra, it has been analyzed how either the electronic noise or the trapping of the signal charge contribute to the energy resolution of the spectrometer. The result is that despite the high measured cce. The trapping gives a contribution higher than 1.5 keV FWHM for the 59.5-keV spectral line. A comparison between the experimental results and Monte Carlo simulations, based on the Hecht model of charge trapping in detectors, is shown to give a satisfactory justification of the observed phenomena. A total mean drift length of carriers has been experimentally derived, finding an exponential dependence upon the bias voltage applied to the detector     

Dislocation imaging of an InAlGaAs opto-electronic modulator using IBICC

This paper presents Ion Beam Induced Charge Collection (IBICC) contrast images showing regions of differing charge collection efficiency within optoelectronic modulator devices. The experiments were carried out at the Sandia Nuclear Microprobe using 18 MeV carbon and 2 MeV helium ions. Lines of varying densities are observed to run along the different {110} directions which correlate with misfit dislocations within the 392 nm thick strained-layer superlattice quantum well of the modulator structure. Independent cross-sectional TEM studies and the electrical properties of the devices under investigation suggest the presence of threading dislocations in the active device region at a density of 10⁶ cm⁻². However, no clear evidence of threading dislocations was observed in the IBICC images as they are possibly masked by the strong contrast of the misfit dislocations. Charge carrier transport within the modulator is used to explain the observed contrast. The different signal to noise levels and rates of damage of the incident ions are assessed.     

Measurements of Si ion stopping in amorphous silicon

The stopping of ²⁸Si ions in polycrystalline Si foils has been measured over the energy range 0.1–3.3 MeV per nucleon. For the low energy interval (0.1–0.5 MeV per nucleon), time of flight-energy elastic recoil detection analysis method was used, whilst for the high energy region (1.2–3.3 MeV per nucleon) the energy loss in the same foil was measured using a Si p–i–n diode with the ²⁸Si ions directly incident on the foil following acceleration. Below the stopping maximum the results are in good agreement with literature data based on Doppler shift measurements of short nuclear lifetimes but are about 20% smaller than the SRIM prediction. Above the stopping maximum the data are in agreement with SRIM within the limits of statistical uncertainty.     

The cross section for the K(n,p)Ar reaction between 14.2 and 17.2 MeV

Activation techniques have been used to measure the cross section for the ⁴¹K(n,p)⁴¹Ar reaction between 14.2 and 17.2 MeV. Neutrons were produced by the ³H(d,n)⁴He reaction, and the mixed-power method was used to measure the neutron flux through the ²⁷Al(n,)²⁴Na reaction. The activated samples were counted for the 1294 keV, 1.827 h γ-activity of ⁴¹Ar and the 1369 keV, 15.03 h γ-activity of ²⁴Na using a 16% Ge(Li) detector and a 4096-channel analyzer. The cross sections for the ⁴¹K(n,p)⁴¹Ar reaction using the mixed-power method were found to be 53 ± 3 mbarn at 14.2 ± 0.2 MeV, 47 ± 3 mbarn at 15.2 ± 0.2 MeV, 41 ± 3 mbarn at 16.2 ± 0.2 MeV and 36 ± 4 mbarn at 17.2 ± 0.2 MeV. The associated-particle method was also used for measuring the neutron flux in order to check the mixed-powder result at 14.2 MeV. The average cross section for three associated-particle runs at 14.2 MeV was found to be 50 ± 3 mbarn which, within experimental error, agrees with the mixed-powder value.     

Development of enhanced depth-resolution technique for shallow dopant profiles

A rapid shrinkage in the minimum feature size of integrated circuits requires analysis of dopants in their shallow source–drain and their extensions with an enhanced depth resolution. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) combining a medium-energy He ion beam with a detector of improved energy resolution should meet the requirement of a depth resolution better than 5 nm at a depth of 10–20 nm in the next 10 years. A toroidal electrostatic analyzer of 4×10⁻³ energy resolution has been used to detect the scattered ions of a medium-energy He ion beam. Five keV As⁺ implanted Si or SiO₂ samples were measured. Depth profiling results using the above technique are compared with those of glancing-angle RBS by MeV energy He ions. Limitations in the energy resolution due to various energy-spread contributions have been clarified.     

Sensitivity of trace-element analysis by X-ray emission induced by 0.1–10 MeV electrons

Bremsstrahlung production cross sections have been calculated as a function of target and angle for electrons in the energy range 0.1–10 MeV. Used in conjunction with the corresponding K and L X-ray production cross sections and nonfundamental experimental quantities (detector resolution and ambient background), they allow determination of the theoretical detection limit using K or L X-ray emission induced by direct electron beam excitation.     

Plastic scintillator investigations for relative dosimetry in proton-therapy

Plastic organic scintillators, polyvinyltoluene based, can be used with high sensitivity to detect 1–60 MeV proton beams. Thin scintillators can be applied to proton-therapy field as relative dosimeter thanks to their water-equivalent nature, high energy–light conversion efficiency, low dimensions and good proportionality to the absorbed dose at low stopping powers. Unfortunately, the quenching effect limits the use of the scintillators at high stopping powers. Moreover, they show a negligible radiation damage at the typical proton doses used in radiotherapy. Preliminary results have been obtained detecting in air both 60 MeV therapeutically proton beam at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI, Villigen-Zurich) and 24 MeV proton beam, at the Laboratorio Nazionale del Sud (LNS, Catania).     

Studies of electronic sputtering of fullerene under swift heavy ion impact

The present work reports the dependence of electronic sputtering on thickness of fullerene film. The energetic ions of 200 MeV Au¹⁵⁺ are taken from NSC Pelletron at New Delhi and the Tandem accelerator at Munich. On-line elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) with ΔE–E telescope detector is used to determine the electronic sputtering yield. We observed systematic decrease in sputtering yield of carbon with increase in film (C₆₀/silicon) thickness.     

Investigation of high purity Si detectors with ohmic contacts atlow temperature for dark matter searches

The development of dark matter ionization/thermal hybrid detectors using silicon requires substrate material in which good charge collection can be achieved at low applied voltages (typically <3 V) and low temperature (typically <300 mK). Presented are results from studies of the effect of material purity on the charge collection efficiency and sensitive volume of Si ionization detectors, fabricated with low resistance contacts and operated at low temperature and bias. Samples of float-zone hypercube Si with four-point room temperature resistivities of 6, 15, 90, and 140 kΩ-cm were used. At applied voltages below 3 V improved detector characteristics were observed with the higher resistivity material. In particular, at 1 V bias a detector of 0.5-mm thickness using 140-kΩ-cm material achieved a factor of two times greater charge collection than a similar detector using 6-Ω-cm material     

Spatially resolved imaging of charge collection efficiency in polycrystalline CVD diamond by the use of ion beam induced current

Diamond based detectors have potential applications in high energy physics experiments. These detectors can be fabricated from synthetic Chemical Vapour Deposited (CVD) polycrystalline diamond films. Previously it has been shown by the Turin group and their coworkers in Zagreb that it is possible to investigate the electrical characteristics of high quality polycrystalline CVD diamond films by Ion Beam Induced Current (IBIC). The present work describes IBIC images obtained using 2 MeV He⁺ irradiation of 250 μm thick polycrystalline diamond films through a thin gold surface contact layer biased positively relative to the grounded rear surface of the film. In contrast to previous experiments the present spectra of collected charge display a clearly defined peak from the induced charge. Images obtained by separating these spectra into different regions of interest allow the identification of regions in the sample of different charge collection efficiency. In particular the presence of some grains in which no charge collection appears possible and the reduction in charge collection efficiency at the grain boundaries is evident.     

Response of Si p-i-n diode and Au/n-Si surface barrier detector to heavy ions

Pulse height versus energy calibrations of a Si p-i-n diode and a Au-/n-Si surface barrier detector have been studied for heavy ions with atomic number (Z₁) from 3 to 79 in a range from 0.1 to 0.8 MeV per nucleon as a function of bias voltage and detector tilting angle. The detector response is simultaneously measured using a time of flight-energy elastic recoil detection analysis set-up with recoils produced over a wide energy range from a thick target of each element. Prior to impinging on the Si detector, the individual recoil is tagged by its energy determined from the time of flight and tabulated isotopic mass. For both detectors, the pulse height-energy calibration for recoils with a given Z₁ is described well by a linear relationship with small systematic deviations. The linear-fit parameters show similar, but not identical dependence on both Z₁ and bias voltage (collecting field strength) for the surface barrier detectors and the p-i-n diode. These results suggest that the efficiency of electron–hole pair collection is markedly dependent on the different electric field configurations for the two detector structures.     

Charge collection efficiency mapping of interdigitated 4H–SiC detectors

The Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) technique was used to map the charge collection efficiency (CCE) of a 4H–SiC photodetector with coplanar interdigitated Schottky barrier electrodes and a common ohmic contact on the back side.IBIC maps were obtained using focused proton beams with energies of 0.9 and 1.5 MeV, at different bias voltages and different sensitive electrode configurations (charge collection at the top Schottky or at the back Ohmic contact).These different experimental conditions have been modeled using a two-dimensional finite element code to solve the adjoint carrier continuity equations and the results obtained have been compared with experimental results. The excellent agreement between the simulated and experimental CCE maps allows an exhaustive interpretation of the charge collection mechanisms occurring in pixellated or strip detectors.     

Hydrogen analysis of mineral samples at University of Tsukuba

This study reports the present status of our work on the hydrogen analysis of mineral and rock samples. The preparation of a standard material by means of ion implantation, a method of its calibration and the application of the method are described. The number of hydrogen atoms per unit volume in the standard material can be determined from the simultaneous observation of -particles, γ rays and –γ coincidence events for the ¹H(¹⁹F,γ) reaction at the 16.44 MeV resonance energy. The hydrogen content in a natural obsidian determined with the method mentioned above is in agreement with that obtained by FTIR. A heavy-ion microbeam system under construction, which consists of a Russian-type quadrupole magnet for beam focusing, a beam defining slit system and a γ-ray detector, is also described.     

Stopping power of Mylar for heavy ions up to copper

The stopping powers of Mylar for several heavy ions covering Z=11 to 29 in the energy range 0.3 to 2.3 MeV/n have been measured using the elastic recoil detection technique and twin detector system. The technique provided a unique method to generate a variety of variable energy ion species utilizing a fixed energy 140 MeV Ag¹³⁺ primary beam from the Pelletron accelerator facility at Nuclear Science Center, New Delhi, India. Most of these measurements are new. The experimentally measured stopping power values have been compared with those calculated using LSS theory, Ziegler et al. formulation and Northcliffe and Schilling tabulations. Merits and demerits of these formulations are highlighted. Stopping power calculations using the Hubert et al. formulation have been extended successfully beyond its recommended range of validity, i.e. 2.5–500 MeV/n down to energies as low as 0.5 MeV/n.