A NEW SEMICONDUCTOR PHOTOSENSOR FOR SCINTILLATION SPECTROSCOPY

SCINTILLATION SPECTROMETERS ARE CURRENTLY THE MOST WIDELY USED DEVICES FOR THE DETECTION AND SPECTROMETRY OF ENERGETIC PHOTONS (X-RAYS AND GAMMA RAYS) AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. THEY ARE VERY WIDELY USED IN NUCLEAR AND HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS RESEARCH, MEDICAL IMAGING AND INDUSTRIAL GAUGING APPLICATIONS. RECENTLY, SILICON SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL DETECTORS HAVE BEEN USED TO DETECT THE LIGHT PRODUCED BY THE SCINTILLATOR. THE PERFORMANCE OF SCINTILLATION SPECTROMETERS COULD BE IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY IF THE OPTICAL DETECTORS USED TO DETECT THE SCINTILLATION LIGHT PULSES COULD BE IMPROVED. TOADDRESS THE LIMITATIONS OF PRESENT SCINTILLATION SPECTROMETERS, WE PROPOSE DEVELOPING A NEW PHOTOCONDUCTIVE DETECTOR, HGBRXI2-X, MERCURY BROMOIODIDE. A DETECTOR MADE OF THIS MATERIAL SHOULD RIVAL OR SURPASS THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL OTHER SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL DETECTORS. IN THIS EFFORT, CRYSTALS OF HGBRXI2-X WILL BE GROWN AND CHARACTERIZED. THESE CRYSTAL WILL BE USED TO FABRICATE OPTICAL SENSORS TO EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE OF THIS NEW MATERIAL. THUS, THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM WILL BE TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING HGBRXI2-X PHOTODETECTORS IN SCINTILLATION SPECTROMETER SYSTEMS.