The effect of charge collection recovery in silicon p–n junction detectors irradiated by different particles

Abstract

The recovery of the charge collection efficiency (CCE) at low temperatures, the so-called ”Lazarus effect”, was studied in Si detectors irradiated by fast reactor neutrons, by protons of medium and high energy, by pions and by gamma-rays. The experimental results show that the Lazarus effect is observed: (a) after all types of irradiation; (b) before and after space charge sign inversion; (c) only in detectors that are biased at voltages resulting in partial depletion at room temperature. The experimental temperature dependence of the CCE for proton-irradiated detectors shows non-monotonic behaviour with a maximum at a temperature defined as the CCE recovery temperature. The model of the effect for proton-irradiated detectors agrees well with that developed earlier for detectors irradiated by neutrons. The same midgap acceptor-type and donor-type levels are responsible for the Lazarus effect in detectors irradiated by neutrons and by protons. A new, abnormal “zigzag”-shaped temperature dependence of the CCE was observed for detectors irradiated by all particles (neutrons, protons and pions) and by an ultra-high dose of γ-rays, when operating at low bias voltages. This effect is explained in the framework of the double-peak electric field distribution model for heavily irradiated detectors. The redistribution of the space charge region depth between the depleted regions adjacent to p+ and n+ contacts is responsible for the “zigzag”- shaped curves. It is shown that the CCE recovery temperature increases with reverse bias in all detectors, regardless of the type of radiation.