Preliminary Study of the Behavior of HPGe Detectors with Ion Implanted Contacts in the Ultralow-Energy X-Ray Region

A direct comparison of Ge and Si(Li) detectors in the 2-20 keV range

“…However, at lower x-ray energies, in the 1.2-2 keY range, a decrease in sensitivity would be expected in HPGe devices due to the large photopeak distortions occurring just above the GeL-edge. 10.…”

Small area high purity germanium detectors for use in the energy range 100 eV to 100 keV

“…However, it has been shown 11-41 that HPGe detectors can exhibit severe peak distortion and shifts in peak position at energies just above the germanium L absorption edges (1.2 to 1.4keV) due to incomplete charge collection, which render such detectors useless for spectrum analysis below about 2keV. The use of ion implanted contacts [2] can improve spectrum line shapes between 1.25keV and 2.3keV, but low energy tailing on the peaks is still apparent.…”

A direct comparison of Ge and Si(Li) detectors in the 2-20 keV range

“…Differences in contact and detector processing techniques will affect the nature and number of surface traps and thus will affect the ICC layer thickness. For example, Si(Li) detectors with Pd surface barrier contacts have thinner ICC layers compared to those with Au contacts [7]; very thin ICC layers have been reported in Ge detectors with low energy implanted contacts [10]; and variations in the annealing treatment of B-implanted contacts in Si have been shown to affect the thickness of the ICC layer [11]. The amount of charge lost via surface trapping and recombination is also determined by the numter of minority charge carriers which can reach the surface through diffusion against the electric field; this is a direct function of the carrier mobility [12].…”