GaAs semi-insulator detector for gamma and charged-particle radiation

Kenneth J. Moy; Ching Lin Wang; John E. Flatley; Michael D. Pocha; Brent A. Davis; Ronald S. Wagner

doi:10.1117/12.138584

22 December 1992 GaAs semi-insulator detector for gamma and charged-particle radiation

Kenneth J. Moy, Ching Lin Wang, John E. Flatley, Michael D. Pocha, Brent A. Davis, Ronald S. Wagner

Proceedings Volume 1734, Gamma-Ray Detectors; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138584
Event: San Diego '92, 1992, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Silicon positive-intrinsic-negative (p-i-n) diodes have been used in plasma diagnostics by the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LANL and LLNL) since the early seventies. Since the response bandwidth of these detectors is relatively poor (typically, approximately 5 ns FWHM for 1 cm² sensitive area and 250 micrometers depletion depth), they are too slow for high-speed applications. GaAs photoconductive detectors (PCD) have been developed since the early eighties at LANL and later at LLNL, and can be tailored by judicious neutron damage to provide the required high-speed bandwidth. Unfortunately, for surface absorbed or non-penetrating radiation, we have discovered that the PCD sensitivity is not flat across its gap, where the incident radiation is perpendicular to the bias electric field. This response non-uniformity can lead to erroneous measurements in cases where the radiation is spatially varying. To overcome this problem, we reoriented the GaAs chip to allow the radiation to be incident through the electrode and parallel to the bias electric field. Then to increase bandwidth, we doped the GaAs crystal with chromium to create trapping sites and provide large resistivity (approximately 10⁹ (Omega) cm), thus creating a semi-insulator detector (SID). We present and discuss the merits of the SID versus PCD and p-i-n diode by showing pulse response data of each detector characterized with 16 MeV endpoint gamma and electron radiation created by the EG&G/EM linear accelerator (Linac) and 5 to 16.5 MeV proton radiation produced by the LLNL Tandem Van de Graaff (TVDG). Application of the SID in Compton electron spectrometry also is discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Kenneth J. Moy, Ching Lin Wang, John E. Flatley, Michael D. Pocha, Brent A. Davis, and Ronald S. Wagner "GaAs semi-insulator detector for gamma and charged-particle radiation", Proc. SPIE 1734, Gamma-Ray Detectors, (22 December 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138584

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