SOFT X-RAY WINDOW ENCAPSULENT FOR MERCURIC IODIDE DETECTORS

FOR MANY YEARS MERCURIC IODIDE HAS APPEARED TO BE AN IDEAL MATERIAL FOR USE AS AN UNCOOLED X-RAY AND GAMMA-RAY DETECTOR. IT HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL ENERGY RESOLUTIONFOR LOW ENERGY X-RAYS AND HAS BEEN CONSIDERED FOR SEVERAL NASA SPACE MISSIONS. HOWEVER, MERCURIC IODIDE DETECTORS HAVE BEEN PLAGUED BY SEVERE INSTABILITY PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MERCURIC IODIDE CRYSTALS. A PRACTICAL SOLUTION TO THIS MAJOR REMAINING OBSTACLE TO THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF MERCURIC IODIDE DEVICES IS THE KEY GOAL IN THIS PROJECT. IT EXPLORES A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM BY THE USE OF SPECIALLY FORMULATED ENCAPSULANT FILMS OF ORGANIC POLYMERS. THIS PROGRAM STUDIES BOTH THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ENCAPSULANTSTHEMSELVES AND THEIR CHEMICAL INTERACTION WITH MERCURIC IODIDE. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE A THIN RUGGED ENCAPSULATING FILM USING ORGANIC POLYMERS WHICH WILL BE STABLE AND WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE SENSITIVITY.