<title>Low-temperature operation of silicon drift detectors</title>

Abstract

Two types of drift device, namely photodiodes and position sensitive drift chambers with segmented anode and cathode structures, have been studied at room temperature and below. Leakage current and electron mobility have been investigated at low temperature for the drift photodiodes. Self-triggering has been achieved for the position sensitive drift chambers using 60 keV photons, and differences in arrival time between the prompt trigger signal from the cathode and the delayed anode signal have been studied as a function of drift distance and temperature. At room temperature the response of the photodiodes when coupled to a CsI scintillator has been assessed.