Development of X-ray/gamma-ray imaging spectrometers using reach-through APD arrays

Abstract

We present spectroscopic capability of a position sensitive detector using a large area reach-through avalanche photodiode (APD) array, mainly for astronomical applications. It is quite important to obtain wide band spectra of high energy astrophysical phenomena simultaneously in order to probe emission processes or structures. Especially observations of transient objects, such as gamma-ray bursts of active galactic nuclei, require detectors with wide energy band coverage for the sake of an efficient spectroscopy within limited time windows. An APD is a compact semiconductor photon sensor with an internal gain which is often up to ∼ 100. A reach-through type APD has a thicker depletion layer thus higher efficiency for direct X-ray detection compared to a reverse type APD. We have developed 1-dimensional reach-through APD arrays which consist of 8 and 16 segments with a pixel size of 2.2 × 16 and 1.1 × 16 mm2. We demonstrated quite uniform gain and energy resolution for 5.9 keV X-ray over the pixels of these arrays. Subsequently we constructed X-ray/gamma-ray detector using the APD array optically coupled to a conventional CsI(Tl) scintillator which demonstrated energy coverage typically from 1 keV to 1 MeV.