Charge Injection Devices

Abstract

The concept of Charge Injected Detectors (CID) has been developed and investigated by the CERN RD39 Collaboration for a considerable period of time. The CID is based on a balance between the trapping and detrapping processes in heavily irradiated semiconductor detector material. Radiation-induced defects trap charge carriers. The counter process of trapping, detrapping, is exponentially dependent on temperature. Thus, if the temperature is lowered, the trapped charge may occupy the radiation defect for considerably long time. This modifies the electric field distribution in an irradiated semiconductor. The trapped charge results in a continuous electric field through the entire thickness of a detector. The experimental results from RD39 show that a standard silicon strip detector, irradiated to 1×10