Simulation of the charge collection and signal response of a HPGe double sided strip detector using MGS

Abstract

This paper aims to present Multi geometry Simulation (MGS), a software intended for the characterization of the signal response of solid state detectors. Its main feature is the calculation of the pulse shapes induced at the electrodes of the detector by a photon–semiconductor interaction occurring at a specific position inside the detector volume. The program uses numerical methods to simulate the drift of the charge carriers generated by the interaction, as the movement of these particles induces the useful signal for detection to the electrodes. After the description of the tool fundamentals, an example of application is presented where MGS was used for simulating a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) double sided strip detector conceived for hard X-ray astronomy. Simulated and measured pulse shapes are compared for interactions occurring at different depths in the detector volume. The comparison focuses on the difference in time of arrival between the anode and cathode pulses, as this measure allows, together with the X/Y information retrieved from the strips, a 3D determination of the photon interaction point, which is an important feature of the detector. A good matching between simulations and measurements is obtained, with a discrepancy less than 0.5mm between the measured and the simulated depth of the interaction, for an 11mm thick detector.