SBIR Phase I: Advanced Detectors for X-ray Diagnosis

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Project will investigate a novel low capacitance design of high purity silicon detectors that offer high-energy resolution, high efficiency, high count-rate operation and straightforward fabrication. By maintaining a low capacitance, the new detectors can reach greater volumes than previously achievable with standard Si (Li) detectors. The research plan requires a combination of device modeling, prototype fabrication and extensive testing, with a goal of producing the largest high purity silicon detectors to date. Collaboration with a manufacturer on this project will bring great expediency to the work plan and provide an immediate pathway to commercialization. The detectors will find great use in a multitude of settings - industrial and academic research labs, portable instrumentation, and large-scale scientific research. Given the many diverse areas that employ x-ray characterization, the detectors will be found in fields such as materials analysis, astronomy, medicine, structural biology, nuclear physics and environmental monitoring.