RADIATION DETECTORS BASED ON ROOM TEMPERATURE SILICON DRIFT CHAMBER ARRAYS

SEVERAL DETECTOR TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED RECENTLY IN AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCH LABORATORIES. THESE TECHNOLOGIES COMBINED WITH PLANNED INNOVATIONS COULD BE USED TO CREATE A NEW TYPE OF SILICON X-RAY DETECTOR-SPECTROMETER THAT HAS RESOLUTION AND SENSITIVITY CLOSE TO PRESENT LITHIUM DRIFTED SILICON (SI(LI) DETECTORS, BUT OPERATES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. THE TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDE SILICON DRIFT CHAMBERS AND JUNCTION FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS (FET) ON HIGH RESISTIVITY SILICON. COMBING THESE INNOVATIONS ON HIGH RESISTIVITY EPITAXIAL SILICON COULD PRODUCE A ROOM TEMPERATURE DETECTOR WHICH WILL BE COMPETITIVE WITH CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY DETECTORS WITHOUT THE HIGH COST AND MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATED WITH LIQUID NITROGEN COOLED SI(LI) DETECTORS. THEY COULD ALSO HAVE MUCH MORE COLLECTION AREA THAN A PIN PHOTODIODE OF THE SAME RESOLUTION. PHASE I WILL DEVELOP THE LOW CAPITANCE FET AND RESET MECHANISMS NECESSARY FOR HIGH RESOLUTION DRIFT CHAMBERS, AND DESIGN THE SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESS AND THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE DRIFT CHAMBER LAYOUT.