Performance of silicon pad detectors after mixed irradiations with neutrons and fast charged hadrons

A large set of silicon pad detectors produced on MCz and FZ wafer of p- and n-type was irradiated in two steps, first by fast charged hadrons followed by reactor neutrons. In this way the irradiations resemble the real irradiation fields at LHC. After irradiations controlled annealing started in steps during which the evolution of full depletion voltage, leakage current and charge collection efficiency was monitored. The damage introduced by different irradiation particles was found to be additive. The most striking consequence of that is a decrease of the full depletion voltage for n-type MCz detectors after additional neutron irradiation. This confirms that effective donors introduced by charged hadron irradiation are compensated by acceptors from neutron irradiation.     

Comparative measurements of highly irradiated n-in-p and p-in-n 3D silicon strip detectors

Silicon detectors in 3D technology are a candidate for applications in environments requiring an extreme radiation hardness, as in the innermost layers of the detectors at the proposed High-Luminosity LHC. In 3D detectors, the electrodes are made of columns etched into the silicon perpendicular to the surface. This leads to higher electric fields, a smaller depletion voltage and a reduced trapping probability of the charge carriers compared to standard planar detectors. In this article, the signal and the noise of irradiated n-in-p and p-in-n 3D silicon strip detectors are compared. The devices under test have been irradiated up to a fluence of 2×10¹⁶ 1 MeV neutron equivalent particles per square centimetre (n_eq/cm²), which corresponds to the fluence expected for the inner pixel detector layers at the High-Luminosity LHC. A relative charge collection efficiency of approximately 70% was obtained even after the highest irradiation fluence with both detector types. The influence of different temperatures on the signal and the noise is investigated and results of annealing measurements are reported.     

The charge collection in single side silicon microstrip detectors

The transient current technique has been used to investigate signal formation in unirradiated silicon microstrip detectors, which are similar in geometry to those developed for the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Nanosecond pulsed infrared and red lasers were used to induce the signals under study. Two peculiarities in the detector performance were observed: an unexpectedly slow rise to the signal induced in a given strip when signals are injected opposite to the strip, and a long duration of the induced signal in comparison with the calculated drift time of charge carriers through the detector thickness—with a significant fraction of the charge being induced after charge carrier arrival. These major effects and details of the detector response for different positions of charge injection are discussed in the context of Ramo's theorem and compared with predictions arising from the more commonly studied phenomenon of signal formation in planar pad detectors.     

Advances in silicon carbide X-ray detectors

The latest advances in SiC X-ray detectors are presented: a pixel detector coupled to a custom ultra low noise CMOS preamplifier has been characterized at room and high temperature. An equivalent noise energy (ENE) of 113 eV FWHM, corresponding to 6.1 electrons r.m.s., has been achieved with the detector/front-end system operating at +30 °C. A Fano factor of F=0.10 has been estimated from the ⁵⁵Fe spectrum. When the system is heated up to +100 °C, the measured ENE is 163 eV FWHM (8.9 electrons r.m.s.). It is determined that both at room and at high temperature the performance are fully limited by the noise of the front-end electronics. It is also presented the capability of SiC detectors to operate in environments under unstable temperature conditions without any apparatus for temperature stabilization; it has been proved that a SiC detector can acquire high resolution X-ray spectra without spectral line degradation while the system temperature changes between +30 and +75 °C.     

Development of a fabrication technology for double-sided AC-coupled silicon microstrip detectors

We report on the development of a fabrication technology for double-sided, AC-coupled silicon microstrip detectors for tracking applications. Two batches of detectors with good electrical figures and a low defect rate were successfully manufactured at IRST Laboratory. The processing techniques and the experimental results obtained from these detector prototypes are presented and discussed.     

Energy and spatial response of silicon strip detectors to X-rays

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the energy and spatial response of silicon strip detectors used for X-ray measurements. The measurements of single strip amplitude distributions have been performed for a p⁺–n silicon strip detector irradiated with X-rays for different detector bias voltages and for two measurements geometries (with the detector irradiated from either the strip side or from the ohmic contact side). The measured amplitude distributions have been compared with those obtained from simulations using the developed simulation package. The spatial response of the detector has been measured by scanning an edge across the strips and measuring the corresponding strip count rate. The measured spatial response has been compared with that obtained from simulations.     

Bias-dependent radiation damage in high-resistivity silicon diodes irradiated with heavy charged particles

High-resistivity p⁺–n–n⁺ planar diodes were irradiated with neutrons to fluences up to 2×10¹⁴ cm⁻² 1 MeV neutron NIEL equivalent and with pions to 0.47×10¹⁴ cm⁻². Special care was taken to irradiate samples under strictly controlled conditions (temperature, bias). The influence of detector biasing on the effective dopant concentration as measured with the C–V method was studied. Permanently biased diodes exhibit about two times higher |N_eff| after beneficial annealing has been completed. After switching off the bias the difference between biased and unbiased samples diminishes with a temperature-dependent annealing time. Part of the difference is attributed to a bistable defect since it recovers if the bias is re-applied for a few days at room temperature. The bias-induced damage was estimated to result in a 40–70 V addition to required bias for detectors in the ATLAS SCT after 10 years of LHC operation.     

Development of an anti-Compton veto for HPGe detectors operated in liquid argon using silicon photo-multipliers

A proof of concept detector is presented for scintillation light detection in liquid argon using silicon photo-multipliers. The aim of the work is to build an anti-Compton veto for germanium detectors operated directly in liquid argon as in the GERDA experiment. Wavelength shifting fibers are used to collect the scintillation light and to guide it to Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPC). Sufficient light yield was achieved to realize an effective anti-Compton veto. Properties of the MPPC were studied at cryogenic temperatures and are additionally reported.     

Development of radiation hard edgeless detectors with current terminating structure on p-type silicon

The development of edgeless Si detectors was stimulated by the tasks of the total pp cross-section study in the TOTEM experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. For this, the dead region at the detector diced side should be reduced below 50 μm. This requirement is successfully realized in edgeless Si detectors with current terminating structure (CTS), which are now operating at LHC. The development of the experiment and future LHC upgrade need the elaboration of radiation hard version of edgeless Si detectors. The current investigation represents an extension in understanding on edgeless detectors operation and development of a new issue - edgeless detectors with CTS on p-type Si.     

Use of pixelated detectors for the identification of defects and charge collection effects in mercuric iodide (HgI2) single crystal material

Physical structure of pixelated detectors provides a unique tool to evaluate the effects of different types of defects in the semiconductor material that is used to fabricate the detectors. The spectroscopic performance measured for individual pixels or groups of pixels can be used to correlate point defects or fields of inhomogeneities within the material with the charge collected from photoelectric events. A block of single crystal mercuric iodide of approximately 18×18 mm² area and between 6 and 10 mm thick is prepared. The homogeneity of this material is then investigated with light in the transparent region for HgI₂ using an optical microscope. Several types of defects can be identified in this way by the scattering of light, for example, single large inclusions or voids and areas of haziness consisting of fields of small inclusions. Standard procedures are used to fabricate from this block a pixelated detector with a 121-pixel anode structure. The performance of each pixel is measured, and differences in charge collection are correlated with the optical data. Measurement data are presented, and possible mechanisms of the interactions between the defects and the charge carriers are discussed.     

Avalanche effect in Si heavily irradiated detectors: Physical model and perspectives for application

The model explaining an enhanced collected charge in detectors irradiated to 10¹⁵-10¹⁶ n_eq/cm² is developed. This effect was first revealed in heavily irradiated n-on-p detectors operated at high bias voltage ranging from 900 to 1700 V. The model is based on the fundamental effect of carrier avalanche multiplication in the space charge region and in our case is extended with a consideration of p-n junctions with a high concentration of the deep levels. It is shown that the efficient trapping of free carriers from the bulk generation current to the deep levels of radiation induced defects leads to the stabilization of the irradiated detector operation in avalanche multiplication mode due to the reduction of the electric field at the junction. The charge collection efficiency and the detector reverse current dependences on the applied bias have been numerically simulated in this study and they well correlate to the recent experimental results of CERN RD50 collaboration. The developed model of enhanced collected charge predicts a controllable operation of heavily irradiated detectors that is promising for the detector application in the upcoming experiments in a high luminosity collider.     

A comparison of the performance of irradiated p-in-n and n-in-n silicon microstrip detectors read out with fast binary electronics

Both n-strip on n-bulk and p-strip on n-bulk silicon microstrip detectors have been irradiated at the CERN PS to a fluence of 3×10¹⁴ pcm⁻² and their post-irradiation performance compared using fast binary readout electronics. Results are presented for test beam measurements of the efficiency and resolution as a function of bias voltage made at the CERN SPS, and for noise measurements giving detector strip quality. The detectors come from four different manufacturers and were made as prototypes for the SemiConductor Tracker of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC.     

The effect of cathode bias (field effect) on the surface leakage current of CdZnTe detectors

Surface resistivity is an important parameter of multi-electrode CZT detectors such as coplanar-grid, strip, or pixel detectors. Low surface resistivity results in a high leakage current and affects the charge collection efficiency in the areas near contacts. Thus, it is always desirable to have the surface resistivity of the detector as high as possible. In the past the most significant efforts were concentrated to develop passivation techniques for CZT detectors. However, as we found, the field-effect caused by a bias applied on the cathode can significantly reduce the surface resistivity even though the detector surface was carefully passivated. In this paper we illustrate that the field-effect is a common feature of the CZT multi-electrode detectors, and discuss how to take advantage of this effect to improve the surface resistivity of CZT detectors.     

Measurement of the tunnel rate in SIS' tunnel junctions as function of bias voltage

Cryogenic detectors with superconducting tunnel junctions can provide an energy resolution improved by at least one order of magnitude compared with standard semiconductor detectors. While the detection principle was already demonstrated many years ago, the past years were dedicated to the transition from the laboratory sample to practical detectors. Our most favored detector design gives rise to tunnel junctions with electrodes of unequal energy gaps. In such hetero tunnel junctions bias conditions can be established which cause a negative signal current. We report the experimental verification of this effect, and we discuss the yield of charge signal of cryogenic detectors based upon superconducting tunnel junctions.     

Effect of the target bias voltage during off-pulse period on the impulse magnetron sputtering

With a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) apparatus, it has been studied how the target bias voltage during the off-pulse period affects the stability of the generated plasma. We have prepared an electrical pulse power source which can control the target voltage during the pulse off period, in addition to the pulse voltage, repetition frequency and a duty ratio of the pulse. Time-resolved current-voltage characteristic was monitored by an oscilloscope, and plasma generation behavior was elucidated. With titanium target and at Ar gas pressures of 0.6-5 Pa, pulse-off bias voltage was changed between −300 and +100 V, and the I-V characteristics were recorded. On increasing the negative bias voltage, the time at which the target current began to rise was gradually delayed. And at a certain voltage, the delay suddenly disappeared. This voltage was found to be the sustain voltage of the dc discharge in the same condition. Applying positive bias voltage resulted in a much longer delay. These results suggest that the minimal discharge during the pulse-off period helps the initiation of high-density plasma, while the bias voltage which can not maintain the plasma contrarily hampers it.     

Control of threshold voltage of organic field-effect transistors by space charge polarization

We demonstrate organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with an ion-dispersed polymer for the gate dielectrics. By applying external electric field (V_ex), the dispersed ions can migrate by electrophoresis and separated ion pairs form space charge polarization in the gate dielectrics. After V_ex was applied, the drain current is increased over 7 times and threshold voltage is decreased from − 12.9 V to − 2.9 V. The shift direction of V_th is controllable by the polarity of the V_ex. Results of ultraviolet/visible differential absorption study reveal that the active layer of OFETs is charged not only electrostatically but electrochemically with increasing the time after V_ex was applied.     

A digital X-ray imaging system based on silicon strip detectors working in edge-on configuration

We present the energy resolution and imaging performance of a digital X-ray imaging system based on a 512-strip silicon strip detector (SSD) working in the edge-on configuration. The SSDs tested in the system are 300 μm thick with 1 or 2-cm-long strips and 100 μm pitch. To ensure a very small dead area of the SSD working in edge-on configuration, the detector is cut perpendicular to the strips at a distance of only 20 μm from the end of the strips. The 512-strip silicon detector is read out by eight 64-channel integrated circuits called DEDIX [Grybos et al., IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. NS-54 (2007) 1207]. The DEDIX IC operates in a single photon counting mode with two independent amplitude discriminators per channel. The readout electronic channel connected to a detector with effective input capacitance of about 2 pF has an average equivalent noise charge (ENC) of about 163 el. rms and is able to count 1 Mcps of average rate of input pulses. The system consisting of 512 channels has an excellent channel-to-channel uniformity—the effective threshold spread calculated to the charge-sensitive amplifier inputs is 12 el. rms (at one sigma level). With this system a few test images of a phantom have been taken in the 10–30 keV energy range.     

Effect of negatively charged species on the growth behavior of silicon films in hot wire chemical vapor deposition

The deposition behavior of silicon in hot wire chemical vapor deposition was investigated, focusing on the generation of negatively charged species in the gas phase using a gas mixture of 20% SiH₄ and 80% H₂ at a 450 °C substrate temperature under a working pressure of 66.7 Pa. A negative current of 6–21 µA/cm² was measured on the substrate at all processing conditions, and its absolute value increased with increasing wire temperature in the range of 1400 °C–1900 °C. The surface roughness of the films deposited on the silicon wafers increased with increasing wire temperature in the range of 1510 °C–1800 °C. The film growth rate on the positively biased substrates (+ 100 V, + 200 V) was higher than that on the neutral (0 V) and negatively biased substrates (− 100 V, − 200 V, − 300 V). These results indicate that the negatively charged species are generated in the gas phase and contribute to deposition. The surface roughness evolved during deposition was attributed to the electrostatic interaction between these negatively charged species and the negatively charged growing surface.