IMPROVED PERFORMANCE CDTE NUCLEAR PARTICLE DETECTORS

CDTE NUCLEAR PARTICLE DETECTORS WILL BE MADE FROM CRYSTALS GROWN BY A NEW PROCESS THAT USES A QUARTZ-FREE SYSTEM PROVIDING IMPROVED GROWTH CONDITIONS THROUGH 1) TEMPERATURE PROFILING AND PRESSURE CONTROL TECHNIQUES THAT CANNOT BE USED IN CONVENTIONAL GROWTH SYSTEMS BECAUSE OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE LIMITATIONS ON QUARTS AND 2) REMOVAL OF A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT CONTAMINATION PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE USE OF QUARTZ. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE IMPROVED QUALITY OF MATERIAL WILL RESULT IN A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN DETECTOR PERFORMANCE. DETECTORS WILL BE DESIGNED FOR COUNTING APPLICATIONS OF BACKGROUND LEVEL, WITH A BIAS OF 10 VOLTS OR LESS, AND WILL BE SUPPLIED IN A PACKAGE WITH MATCHED PREAMPLIFIERS. PREAMPLIFIER DESIGN WILL BE CONSISTENT WITH EVENTUAL MINIATURIZATION. THE DETECTORS ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE HIGH SURVIVABILITY, WITH A 10% OR LESS PERFORMANCE LOSS AFTER A 2,000 RAD NEUTRON OR GAMMA DOSE. PHASE I WILL BE THE FOUNDATION FOR AN OVERALL PROGRAM WHOSE GOAL IS A PRODUCTION CAPABILITY FOR A COMPACT MONITORING INSTRUMENT, IN WHICH THE DETECTOR UNIT COST WILL BE LESS THAN $50.