Investigation of X-ray spectral response of D-T fusion produced neutron irradiated PIPS detectors for plasma X-ray diagnostics

Abstract

This paper describes the fusion-produced neutron irradiation induced changes in the X-ray spectral response of commercially available Passivated Implanted Planar Silicon (PIPS) detectors using the accelerator based D-T generator. After 14.1 MeV neutron irradiation up to a fluence of 3.6× 1010 n/cm2, the energy resolution (i.e. FWHM) of the detectors at room temperature is found to degrade by about 3.8 times that of the pre-irradiated value. From the X-ray spectral characteristics, it has been observed that the room temperature spectral response of PIPS detectors is too poor even at low neutron fluences. Irradiation is also carried out with Am-Be neutron source for studying the effect of scattered neutrons from the reactor walls on the detector performance. Comparative studies of the damage caused by 14.1 MeV neutrons and Am-Be source produced neutrons at the same neutron fluence are carried out by analyzing the irradiated detector characteristics. The degradation in the energy resolution of the detectors is attributed to the radiation induced changes in the detector leakage current. No considerable changes in the full depletion voltage and the effective doping concentration up to the neutron fluence of 3.6× 1010 n/cm2, are observed from the measured C-V characteristics. Partial recovery of the neutron irradiated detector characteristics is discussed.