Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T20:40:46.960Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Real-time Imaging of the Electric field Distribution in CdZnTe at low temperature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Paul Sellin ,
Georgios Prekas ,
Annika Lohstroh ,
Ersin Ozsan ,
Perumal Veeramani ,
Matt Veale  and
Paul Seller
Paul Sellin
Affiliation:
p.sellin@surrey.ac.uk, University of Surrey, Department of Physics, Guildford, United Kingdom
Georgios Prekas
Affiliation:
g.prekas@surrey.ac.uk, University of Surrey, Department of Physics, Guildford, United Kingdom
Annika Lohstroh
Affiliation:
a.lohstroh@surrey.ac.uk, University of Surrey, Department of Physics, Guildford, United Kingdom
Ersin Ozsan
Affiliation:
m.e.ozsan@surrey.ac.uk, University of Surrey, Department of Physics, Guildford, United Kingdom
Perumal Veeramani
Affiliation:
p.veeramani@surrey.ac.uk, University of Surrey, Department of Physics, Guildford, United Kingdom
Matt Veale
Affiliation:
matthew.veale@stfc.ac.uk, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Instrumentation Department, Harwell, United Kingdom
Paul Seller
Affiliation:
paul.seller@stfc.ac.uk, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Instrumentation Department, Harwell, United Kingdom
Get access

Abstract

Real time imaging of the electric field distribution in CZT at low temperature has been carried out using the Pockels electro-optical effect. CZT detectors have been observed to show degraded spectroscopic resolution at low temperature due to so-called ‘polarization’ phenomena. By mounting a CZT device in a custom optical cryostat, we have used Pockels imaging to observe the distortion of the electric field distribution in the temperature range 240K - 300K. At 240K the electric field has a severely non-uniform depth distribution, with a high field region occupying ∼10% of the depth of the device under the cathode electrode and a low field in the remainder of the device. Using an alpha particle source positioned inside the vacuum chamber we have performed simultaneous alpha particle transient current (TCT) measurements. At low temperatures the alpha particle current pulses become significantly shorter, consistent with the reduced electron drift time due to a non-uniform electric field. These data provide useful insights into the mechanisms which limit the spectroscopic performance of CZT devices at reduced temperature.

Keywords

electrical propertiesradiation effectsoptoelectronic
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1164: Symposium L – Nuclear Radiation Detection Materials–2009 , 2009 , 1164-L03-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1] James, R. et al. , Semiconductors for Room Temperature Nuclear Detection Applications, Academic Press, New York, 1995, pp. 384.Google Scholar
[2] Schlesinger, T.E. et al. , Mater. Sci. Eng. 32 (2001) 103–189.Google Scholar
[3] Szeles, Cs. et al. , IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 54 (2007) 1350–1358.Google Scholar
[4] Bale, Derek S. et al. , Applied Physics Letters 92 (2008) 082101.Google Scholar
[5] Franc, J. et al. , IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 54 (2007) 1416–1420.Google Scholar
[6] Camarda, G.S et al. , IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record, Honolulu Hawaii, 2007, pp 1798–1804.Google Scholar
[7] Sturm, B.W. et al. , IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 52 (2005) 2068–2075.Google Scholar
[8] Toyama, H. et al. , Japanese Society of Applied Physics, 45 (2006) 8842–8847.Google Scholar
[9] Antonis, P. De et al. , IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 43 (1996) 1487–1490.Google Scholar
[10] Yao, H.W. et al. , Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 487 (1997) 51–57.Google Scholar
[11] Cola, A. et al. , Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 568 (2006) 406–411.Google Scholar
[12] Burger, A. et al. , Journal of Electronic Materials, 32 (2003) 756–760.Google Scholar
[13] Prekas, G. et al. , IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, in pressGoogle Scholar
[14] Fink, J. et al. , Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 565 (2006) 227–223.Google Scholar