INDUCTIVE RADIATION DETECTORS
New Class of Room-Temperature Radiation Detectors
A patented technology offering a new class radiation detectors based on the inductive (RF) detection of the charge carriers generated by high energy radiation (X-ray, Gamma-ray) offering superior energy resolution and sensitivity.
APPLICATIONS:
Large area & large volume, high energy resolution radiation detectors
GEKA ASSOCIATES is seeking a collaboration with an R&D center interested in the development of new inductive radiation detectors for industrial, medical, security, and space applications.
COMPLETED: Evaluation of sensitivity of inductive detection technology
NEXT PHASE:
Development of a single pixel detector using polycrystalline CZT demonstrating high energy resolution capability
In comparison to currently available technologies, the inductive RF method dramatically improves energy resolution of radiation detectors independently of the crystal quality. It results in the improved isotopes differentiation which is critical in industrial, security and medical applications. It allows replacement of currently used expensive high-quality crystals with polycrystalline and non-crystalline materials. The sensitivity of the inductive radiation sensing actually increases with the increasing defect density.
Inductive DIRECT-Conversion Radiation Detectors
The inductive conversion method is based on the detection of the inductive load on the coil by the charge carriers produced in the semiconductor by the high energy radiation (X-ray, Gamma-ray) rather than collection of these charges at the electrodes by applying electrical field. This load is associated with the energy losses due to absorption of RF radiation by the radiation produced charge carriers reducing quality factor (Q) of a coil-capacitance resonant circuit.
Absorption of the radiation by the free charge carriers relates to any electromagnetic radiation, the visible light, the infrared and longer wavelengths radiation such as RF. The longer the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation the larger contribution of the free carriers to the absorption. This contribution is approximately proportional to the square of the radiation wavelength. Therefore, while measurable free carrier contribution to the absorption of the infrared radiation requires high density of carriers (high doping), free carrier absorption of the RF radiation allows to detect number of charge carriers equivalent to that produced by a single high-energy photon.
Unlike detectors based on the photoconductive principle, inductive radiation sensing technology detects radiation generated charge carriers at the location where they are created and does not require high carrier mobility, low defect density materials and does not require high voltage biasing. Performance of inductive detectors even improves with increasing density of the defects. Therefore the use of polycrystalline materials results in a substantial increase of the readout sensitivity and energy resolution as compared to detectors based on low defect density monocrystalline materials such as high resistivity CdZnTe (CZT).
E. Kamieniecki, http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28670.23369,
Patents: US 10,018,738 B2, US 10,338,237 B2.