Michelle Mayer

Development of an orthogonal-stripe CdZnTe gamma radiation imaging spectrometer

We report performance measurements of a sub-millimeter resolution CdZnTe strip detector developed as a prototype for astronomical instruments operating with good efficiency in the 30-300 keV photon energy range. The prototype is a 1.4 mm thick, 64/spl times/64 contact stripe CdZnTe array of 0.375 mm pitch in both dimensions. Pulse height spectra were recorded in orthogonal-stripe coincidence mode which demonstrate room-temperature energy resolution <10 keV (FWHM) for 122 keV photons with a peak-to-valley ratio >5:1. Good response is also demonstrated at higher energies using a coplanar grid readout configuration. Spatial resolution capabilities finer than the stripe pitch are demonstrated. We present the image of a /sup 133/Ba source viewed through a collimator slit produced by a 4/spl times/4 stripe detector segment. Charge signals from electron and hole collecting contacts are also discussed.

Transport properties and performance of CdZnTe strip detectors

We report on recent tests and computer simulations of a sub-millimeter pitch CdZnTe strip detector under study as a prototype imaging spectrometer. This paper presents new measurements and new analyses of previous measurements of the CdZnTe transport properties for this prototype and resolves previously reported quantitative discrepancies. Measurements of charge signals produced by /spl alpha/-particles are used to determine the transport properties. These are then used in the model to predict detection efficiencies and spectroscopic performance for /spl gamma/-rays that are compared with the data.

Signal formation in a CdZnTe imaging detector with coplanar pixel and control electrodes

In order to gain insight on a proposed CZT imaging device with orthogonal coplanar anodes currently under development, measurements have been made on an available commercial device with pixels and control electrodes. Charge signals induced on both the pixel and control electrodes by alphas incident at two positions on the cathode side are measured and compared with model predictions. Signals produced by c-rays are also discussed. Measurements and simulations are found to be in reasonably good agreement. It is concluded that the proposed anode geometry might exhibit excellent energy resolution and good position resolution in two dimensions as well as some position information along the depth dimension. ( 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

An imaging CdZnTe detector with coplanar orthogonal anode strips

A novel electrode configuration for CZT imaging devices is presented. It is made of focusing, non-collecting anode strips, in one dimension, and collecting anode pixels, interconnected in rows, in the orthogonal dimension. The simulation of such an imaging detector is presented. First, field lines in the detector are computed that show that electrons generated in {gamma}-ray events are collected on the pixels. Charge signals, induced on the pixel and on the strip by drifting electrons, are calculated for several points of interaction inside the detector unit cell. These show that this new detector should retain the spectroscopic and detection efficiency advantages of single carrier (electrons) charge sensing devices such as pixel detectors or spectrometers with controlling electrodes. Furthermore, it retains the main advantage of conventional strip detectors, i.e. an N x N array of imaging pixels realized with only 2N electronic channels. An additional potential advantage is the measurement of the third coordinate, i.e., the depth of interaction in the detector.

Progress in the study of CdZnTe strip detectors

We report new performance measurements and computer simulations of a sub-millimeter pitch CdZnTe strip detector under study as a prototype imaging spectrometer for astronomical x-ray and gamma-ray observations. The prototype is 1.5 mm thick with 375 micron strip pitch in both the x and y dimensions. Previously reported work included demonstrations of half-pitch spatial resolution (approximately 190 microns) and good energy resolution and spectral uniformity. Strip detector efficiency measurements have also been presented. A model that includes the photon interaction, carrier transport and the electronics was developed that qualitatively reproduced the measurements. The new studies include measurements of the CdZnTe transport properties for this prototype in an effort to resolve quantitative discrepancies between the measurements and the simulations. Measurements of charge signals produced by laser pulses and (alpha) -rays are used to determine these transport properties. These are then used in the model to predict gamma-ray efficiencies that are compared with the data. The imaging performance of the detector is studied by scanned laser and gamma beam spot measurements. The results support the models prediction of nearly linear sharing of the charge for interactions occurring in the region between electrodes. The potential for strip detectors with spatial resolution much finer than the strip pitch is demonstrated. A new design scheme for strip detectors is shortly discussed.

Balloon-borne coded aperture telescope for arc-minute angular resolution at hard x-ray energies

We are working on the development of a new balloon-borne telescope, MARGIE (minute-of-arc resolution gamma ray imaging experiment). It will be a coded aperture telescope designed to image hard x-rays (in various configurations) over the 20 - 600 keV range with an angular resolution approaching one arc minute. MARGIE will use one (or both) of two different detection plane technologies, each of which is capable of providing event locations with sub-mm accuracies. One such technology involves the use of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) strip detectors. We have successfully completed a series of laboratory measurements using a prototype CZT detector with 375 micron pitch. Spatial location accuracies of better than 375 microns have been demonstrated. A second type of detection plane would be based on CsI microfiber arrays coupled to a large area silicon CCD readout array. This approach would provide spatial resolutions comparable to that of the CZT prototype. In one possible configuration, the coded mask would be 0.5 mm thick tungsten, with 0.5 mm pixels at a distance of 1.5 m from the central detector giving an angular resolution of 1 arc-minute and a fully coded field of view of 12 degrees. We review the capabilities of the MARGIE telescope and report on the status of our development efforts and our plans for a first balloon flight.

Biasing scheme for AC coupled strip detectors

A new biasing scheme for AC coupled strip detectors has been developed. Application of this scheme reduces the potential non-uniformity due to variations in the strip leakage currents. The circuit comprises an error amplifier that senses the strip current and compensates for the voltage drop across the biasing resistor. The error amplifier is powered by floating power supplies referenced to the bias voltage. A circuit was built that uses a low power amplifier with femtoamp inputs. The circuit regulates the strip potential to within few mV of the bias voltage for strip currents between 0 and 5 nA with a 1.2 G/spl Omega/ biasing resistor. The circuit has been tested with a CZT strip detector.

CdZnTe strip detectors as sub-millimeter resolution imaging gamma radiation spectrometers

We report /spl gamma/-ray detection performance measurements and computer simulations of a sub-millimeter pitch CdZnTe strip detector. The detector is a prototype for /spl gamma/-ray measurements in the range of 20-600 keV. The prototype is a 1.5 mm thick, 64/spl times/64 orthogonal stripe CdZnTe detector of 0.375 mm pitch in both dimensions, with approximately one square inch of sensitive area. Using discrete laboratory electronics to process signals from an 8/spl times/8 stripe region of the prototype we measured good spectroscopic uniformity and sub-pitch (/spl sim/0.2 mm) spatial resolution in both x and y dimensions. We present below measurements of the spatial uniformity, relative timing and pulse height of the anode and cathode signals. We simulated the photon interactions and signal generation in the strip detector and the test electronics and we compare these results with the data. The data indicate that cathode signal-as well as the anode signal-arises more strongly from the conduction electrons rather than the holes.

A balloon-borne coded aperture telescope for ARC-minute angular resolution at hard X-ray energies

Abstract We describe the development of a new balloon-borne telescope known as MARGIE (Minute-of-Arc Resolution Gamma ray Imaging Experiment). It is a coded aperture telescope designed to image photons (in various configurations) over the 20–600 keV range with an angular resolution approaching 1′. MARGIE will use one (or both) of two different detection plane technologies. One such technology involves the use of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) strip detectors, for which we have successfully demonstrated a spatial resolution of