title: Improved x-ray spectroscopy with room temperature CZT detectors.
abstract: Compact, room temperature x-ray spectroscopy detectors are of interest in many areas including diagnostic x-ray imaging, radiation protection and dosimetry. Room temperature cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) semiconductor detectors are promising candidates for these applications. One of the major problems for CZT detectors is low-energy tailing of the energy spectrum due to hole trapping. Spectral post-correction methods to correct the tailing effect do not work well for a number of reasons; thus it is advisable to eliminate the hole trapping effect in CZT using physical methods rather than correcting an already deteriorated energy spectrum. One method is using a CZT detector with an electrode configuration which modifies the electric field in the CZT volume to decrease low-energy tailing. Another method is to irradiate the CZT surface at a tilted angle, which modifies depth of interaction to decrease low-energy tailing. Neither method alone, however, eliminates the tailing effect. In this work, we have investigated the combination of modified electric field and tilted angle irradiation in a single detector to further decrease spectral tailing. A planar CZT detector with 10 × 10 × 3 mm³ size and CZT detector with 5 × 5 × 5 mm³ size and cap-shaped electrode were used in this study. The cap-shaped electrode (referred to as CAPture technology) modifies the electric field distribution in the CZT volume and decreases the spectral tailing effect. The detectors were investigated at 90° (normal) and 30° (tilted angle) irradiation modes. Two isotope sources with 59.6 and 122 keV photon energies were used for gamma-ray spectroscopy experiments. X-ray spectroscopy was performed using collimated beams at 60, 80 and 120 kVp tube voltages, in both normal and tilted angle irradiation. Measured x-ray spectra were corrected for K x-ray escape fractions that were calculated using Monte Carlo methods. The x-ray spectra measured with tilted angle CAPture detector at 60, 80 and 120 kVp tube voltages were compared to corresponding theoretical spectra. The low-energy tailing was nearly completely eliminated from 59.6 and 122 keV isotope spectra, and 60, 80 and 120 kVp x-ray spectra, when CAPture detector was used with 30° tilted angle irradiation. It is concluded that using a CZT detector with modified electric field in tilted angle configuration resolves problem of the tailing effect in CZT detectors, opening promising possibilities in gamma-ray and x-ray spectroscopy applications.
authors.affiliation: Imaging Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: Polad M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Shikhaliev
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005720:Gamma Rays; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D017785:Photons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012666:Semiconductors / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013691:Tellurium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C474490:CdZnTe; D002104:Cadmium; D015032:Zinc; D013691:Tellurium