Use of ultra thin semiconductive layers as passivation in microstrip gas chambers

Abstract

We have investigated the properties of thin copper and germanium layers in view of their use in microstrip gas chambers. It was found that ultra thin germanium layers with thicknesses of about 100 Å provide surface resistivities in the order of 10 11–10 14 ω/□. Such layers evaporated onto the microstructure of microstrip gas chambers manufactured on plastic or glass supports lead to a gain stabilization of these detectors up to very high particle fluxes.