Study of silicon PIN diode responses to low energy gamma-rays

• Published in: Journal of the Korean Physical Society Vol. 69; no. 10; pp. 1587 - 1590
• Main Authors: Lee, S. C., Jeon, H. B., Kang, K. H., Park, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Korean Physical Society 01.11.2016; Springer Nature B.V; 한국물리학회
• Subjects: BGO (crystal); Dependence; Diode detectors; Energy; Energy measurement; Energy resolution; Gamma ray bursts; Gamma ray detectors; Gamma rays; Gravitational waves; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Nuclear medicine; Particle and Nuclear Physics; Photodiodes; Photomultiplier tubes; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; PIN diodes; Response time; Scintillation counters; Silicon; Silicon diodes; Theoretical; 물리학; Signal-to-noise ratio; Low energy gamma-ray; Energy resolution; Detection speed; Silicon PIN diode
• ISSN: 0374-4884; 1976-8524
• DOI: 10.3938/jkps.69.1587

Low energy gamma-ray detectors play an important role in diagnosis in nuclear medicine, in detection of gamma-ray bursts for gravitational wave research and in detection of underground nuclear tests. The silicon positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) diode detector is useful for detection of low energy gamma radiation without using a scintillator because it generates a high signal in a small active volume, has a fast response time and has good intrinsic energy resolution. We measured the detector responses, energy resolutions and signal-to-noise ratios for various gamma energies by using manufactured silicon PIN diode and photodiodes. Radioactive gamma sources, 241 Am, 133 Ba, and 57 Co, providing gamma-rays with energies between 14.4 keV and 136.5 keV are used for the measurements. The energy resolution and the signal-to-noise ratio for 14.4 keV gamma-ray are measured to be 17.1 % and 12.8 for a 500 μ m thick silicon diode. The energy resolutions measured at the FWHM for 59.5 keV and 122.1 keV gamma-rays by using the silicon diode are better by up to two times compared to those obtained using the NaI:Tl or the BGO scintillator with a photomultiplier tube. The dependence of detection speeds of the signals on the diode’s thickness is also measured.