Hydrogenated amorphous silicon detector

3D geometry radiation detector device, made from a hydrogenated amorphous silicon substrate. The geometry is designed to increase the signal-to-noise ratio compared to other devices with the same thickness, making it suitable for the detection of single particles or photons.

How does it work?

The use of a 3D geometry instead of the classic planar configuration allows the device’s performance to be improved, increasing the signal detection capability; in addition, the presence of appropriately spaced collection electrodes in the hydrogenated amorphous silicon substrate allows the efficient collection of the charge signal along the entire thickness of the substrate.

All this makes this device usable both as a particle detector and as a single-photon detector. Moreover, the detector is designed to have high radiation resistance, so as to extend the possible fields of application both for research purposes, for example in future particle accelerators, and in the medical and industrial fields, for X-ray imaging and particle beam monitors.

Applications

• Monitoring of particle beams from accelerators, both for research, industrial and medical purposes;
• X-ray imaging for medicine;
• X-ray imaging for structural analysis;
• Dosimetry;
• Calorimetry for high-energy physics.

Advantages

• High resistance to radiation;
• Low production cost;
• The hydrogenated amorphous silicon substrate can be deposited on flexible substrates;