Pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride Detectors Research Articles

Unsupervised Learning for Improved Gamma-Ray Spectrometry in Pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) Detectors

Machine learning has been found to be ubiquitously useful across many industries, presenting an opportunity to improve radiation detection performance using data-driven algorithms. Improved detector resolution can aid in the detection, identification, and quantification of radionuclides. In this work, a novel, data-driven, unsupervised learning approach is developed to improve detector spectral characteristics by learning, and subsequently rejecting, poorly performing regions of the pixelated detector. Feature engineering is used to fit individual characteristic photo peaks to a Doniach lineshape with a linear background model. Then, principal component analysis is used to learn a lower-dimension latent space representation of each photo peak where the pixels are clustered, and subsequently ranked, based on the cluster mean distance to an optimal point. Pixels within the worst cluster(s) are rejected to improve the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) by 10% to 15% (relative to the bulk detector) at 50% net efficiency when applied to training data obtained from measurements of a 100 μCi 154Eu source using a H3D M400i pixelated cadmium zinc telluride detector. These results compare well with, but do not outperform, a greedy algorithm that accumulates pixels in order of FWHM from lowest to highest used as a benchmark. In the future, this approach can be extended to include the detector energy and angular response. Finally, the model is applied to newly seen natural and enriched uranium spectra relevant for nuclear safeguards applications.

Sub-voxel identification of gamma-ray interaction positions within a pixelated CZT detector through signal analysis

Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors are well suited for use in gamma-imaging applications thanks to their room-temperature operation, excellent energy resolution, and three-dimensional sensitivity to positions of gamma-ray interactions. In many of these applications, the position resolution with which gamma-interactions can be determined is crucial for high quality imaging. Finer pixelisation may provide improved position resolution but at the cost of increased fabrication cost and degradation of spectral performance. This work sets out to instead investigate and quantify the three-dimensional position resolution achievable using pulse shape analysis applied to digital signals, arising from interactions in a CZT detector pixelated into 2 × 2 × 5 mm3 voxels. The signal response of a 3 × 3 pixel cluster has been characterised as a function of gamma-ray interaction position using collimated 57Co and 137Cs sources. Simple pulse shape analysis algorithms using the transient image and charge collection signals have been developed and applied to achieve a sub-voxel position resolution of better than 0.65 × 0.69 × 1.26 mm3 at 122 keV and of 1.06 mm through 5 mm depth at 662 keV, not accounting for divergence of the collimated beam used to evaluate performance. Assessment of the contribution of the diverging gamma-beam placed a lower bound on the achievable positions resolution in 5 mm thickness at 122 keV of 290μm.

Experimental verification of off-axis polarimetry with cadmium zinc telluride detectors of AstroSat-CZT Imager

The cadmium zinc telluride imager (CZTI) on board AstroSat consists of an array of a large number of pixelated cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors capable of measuring the polarization of incident hard x-rays. The polarization measurement capability of CZTI for on-axis sources was experimentally confirmed before the launch. CZTI has yielded tantalizing results on the x-ray polarization of the Crab nebula and pulsar in the energy range of 100 to 380 keV. CZTI has also contributed to the measurement of prompt emission polarization for several gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). However, polarization measurements of off-axis sources such as GRBs are challenging. It is vital to experimentally calibrate the CZTI sensitivity to off-axis sources to enhance the credence of the measurements. In this context, we report the verification of the off-axis polarimetric capability of pixelated CZT detectors through controlled experiments carried out with a CZT detector similar to that used in CZTI and extensive Geant4 simulations of the experimental setup. Our current results show that the CZT detectors can be used to measure the polarization of bright GRBs with off-axis angles of up to ∼60 deg. However, at incidence angles between 45 deg and 60 deg, there might be some systematic effects that need to be taken into account when interpreting the measured polarization fraction.

Incomplete Charge Collection at Inter-Pixel Gap in Low- and High-Flux Cadmium Zinc Telluride Pixel Detectors.

The success of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors in room-temperature spectroscopic X-ray imaging is now widely accepted. The most common CZT detectors are characterized by enhanced-charge transport properties of electrons, with mobility-lifetime products μeτe > 10−2 cm2/V and μhτh > 10−5 cm2/V. These materials, typically termed low-flux LF-CZT, are successfully used for thick electron-sensing detectors and in low-flux conditions. Recently, new CZT materials with hole mobility-lifetime product enhancements (μhτh > 10−4 cm2/V and μeτe > 10−3 cm2/V) have been fabricated for high-flux measurements (high-flux HF-CZT detectors). In this work, we will present the performance and charge-sharing properties of sub-millimeter CZT pixel detectors based on LF-CZT and HF-CZT crystals. Experimental results from the measurement of energy spectra after charge-sharing addition (CSA) and from 2D X-ray mapping highlight the better charge-collection properties of HF-CZT detectors near the inter-pixel gaps. The successful mitigation of the effects of incomplete charge collection after CSA was also performed through original charge-sharing correction techniques. These activities exist in the framework of international collaboration on the development of energy-resolved X-ray scanners for medical applications and non-destructive testing in the food industry.

Characterisation of cosmic ray induced noise events in AstroSat-CZT imager

The Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) Imager onboard AstroSat consists of pixelated CZT detectors, which are sensitive to hard X-rays above 20 keV. The individual pixels are triggered by ionising events occurring in them, and the detectors operate in a self-triggered mode, recording each event separately with information about its time of incidence, detector co-ordinates, and channel that scales with the amount of ionisation. The detectors are sensitive not only to photons from astrophysical sources of interest, but also prone to a number of other events like background X-rays, cosmic rays, and noise in detectors or the electronics. In this work, a detailed analysis of the effect of cosmic rays on the detectors is made and it is found that cosmic rays can trigger multiple events which are closely packed in time (called ‘bunches’). Higher energy cosmic rays, however, can also generate delayed emissions, a signature previously seen in the PICsIT detector on-board INTEGRAL. An algorithm to automatically detect them based on their spatial clustering properties is presented. Residual noise events are examined using examples of Gamma Ray Bursts as target sources.

Monte Carlo simulation of pixelated CZT detector with Geant4: validation of clinical molecular breast imaging system

Purpose. Molecular breast imaging (MBI) of 99mTc-sestamibi with dual-headed, pixelated, cadmium–zinc–telluride (CZT) detectors is increasingly used in breast cancer care for screening/detecting lesions, monitoring response to therapy, and predicting risk of cancer. MBI as a truly quantitative tool in these applications, however, is limited due the lack of absolute 99mTc-sestamibi uptake quantification. To help advance the field of quantitative MBI, we have developed a Monte Carlo simulation application of the GE Discovery NM 750b system. Methods. Our simulation consists of a two-step process using the Geant4 toolkit to model the detector and source geometry and to track photon interactions and a MATLAB script to model the charge transport within the pixelated CZT detector. Simulated detector and detector response model parameters were selected to match measured and simulated standard performance characteristics using various 99mTc point-, line-, and film-sources in air. The final model parameters were verified by comparing the count profiles, energy spectra, and region of interest counts between simulated and measured images of a breast phantom with two spherical lesions in 5 cm thick medium of air or water. Results. Final performance characteristics with 99mTc sources in air were: (1) energy resolution: 6.1% measured versus 5.9% simulated photopeak full-width at half-maximum (FWHM), (2) spatial resolution: mean error between measured and simulated FWHM of 0.08 mm across 4.4–14.0 mm FWHM range, and (3) sensitivity: 572 cpm/μCi measured versus 567 cpm/μCi simulated (<1% error). Good agreement was observed in the breast phantom line profiles through the spherical lesions and overall energy spectra, with <5% difference in sphere counts between simulated and measured data. Conclusion. A pixelated CZT charge transport and induction model was successfully implemented and validated to simulate imaging with the GE Discovery NM 750b system. This work will enable investigations improving MBI image quality and developing algorithms for uptake quantification.

Room-temperature performance of 3 mm-thick cadmium-zinc-telluride pixel detectors with sub-millimetre pixelization.

Cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) pixel detectors represent a consolidated choice for the development of room-temperature spectroscopic X-ray imagers, finding important applications in medical imaging, often as detection modules of a variety of new SPECT and CT systems. Detectors with 3-5 mm thicknesses are able to efficiently detect X-rays up to 140 keV giving reasonable room-temperature energy resolution. In this work, the room-temperature performance of 3 mm-thick CZT pixel detectors, recently developed at IMEM/CNR of Parma (Italy), is presented. Sub-millimetre detector arrays with pixel pitch less than 500 µm were fabricated. The detectors are characterized by good room-temperature performance even at high bias voltage operation (6000 V cm-1), with energy resolutions (FWHM) of 3% (1.8 keV) and 1.6% (2 keV) at 59.5 keV and 122.1 keV, respectively. Charge-sharing investigations were performed with both uncollimated and collimated synchrotron X-ray beams with particular attention to recovering the charge losses at the inter-pixel gap region. High ratemeasurements demonstrated the absence of high-flux radiation-induced polarization phenomena up to 25 × 106 photons mm-2 s-1.

HREXI calibration facility: mapping out subpixel-level responses from high-resolution cadmium zinc telluride imaging x-ray detectors

The High-Resolution Energetic X-ray Imager (HREXI) cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector development program at Harvard is aimed at developing tiled arrays of finely pixelated CZT detectors for use in wide-field coded aperture 3 to 200 keV x-ray telescopes. A pixel size of ∼600 μm has already been achieved in the ProtoEXIST2 (P2) detector plane with CZT readout by the NuSTAR application-specific integrated circuits. This paves the way for even smaller than 300-μm pixels in the next-generation HREXI detectors. We describe a new HREXI calibration facility (HCF) that enables a high-resolution subpixel-level (100 μm) two-dimensional (2D) scan of a 256-cm2 tiled array of 2 × 2 cm2 CZT detectors illuminated by a bright x-ray AmpTek Mini-X tube source at timescales of around a day. HCF is a significant improvement from the previous apparatus used for scanning these detectors, which took ∼3 weeks to complete a one-dimensional (1D) scan of a similar detector plane. Moreover, HCF has the capability to scan a large tiled array of CZT detectors (32 × 32 cm2) at 100-μm resolution in the 10- to 50-keV energy range, which was not possible previously. We describe the design, construction, and implementation of HCF for the calibration of the P2 detector plane.

Radiation measurement and imaging using 3D position sensitive pixelated CZT detector

Abstract In this study, we evaluated the performance of a commercial pixelated cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector for spectroscopy and identified its feasibility as a Compton camera for radiation monitoring in a nuclear power plant. The detection system consisted of a 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm CZT crystal with 8 × 8 pixelated anodes and a common cathode, in addition to an application specific integrated circuit. The performance of the various radioisotopes 57Co, 133Ba, 22Na, and 137Cs was evaluated. In general, the amplitude of the induced signal in a CZT crystal depends on the interaction position and material non-uniformity. To minimize this dependency, a drift time correction was applied. The depth of each interaction was calculated by the drift time and the positional dependency of the signal amplitude was corrected based on the depth information. After the correction, the Compton regions of each spectrum were reduced, and energy resolutions of 122 keV, 356 keV, 511 keV, and 662 keV peaks were improved from 13.59%, 9.56%, 6.08%, and 5%–4.61%, 2.94%, 2.08%, and 2.2%, respectively. For the Compton imaging, simulations and experiments using one 137Cs source with various angular positions and two 137Cs sources were performed. Individual and multiple sources of 133Ba, 22Na, and 137Cs were also measured. The images were successfully reconstructed by weighted list-mode maximum likelihood expectation maximization method. The angular resolutions and intrinsic efficiency of the 137Cs experiments were approximately 7°–9° and 5 × 10−4–7 × 10−4, respectively. The distortions of the source distribution were proportional to the offset angle.

Cadmium zinc telluride pixel detectors for high-intensity x-ray imaging at free electron lasers

This paper reports the first demonstration of high-intensity x-ray imaging using cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) pixel detectors at a free electron laser (FEL). Prototype detectors were produced using the STFC large pixel detector (LPD) ASIC and sensors fabricated from a novel high-intensity-capable CdZnTe material produced by Redlen Technologies. Characterisation of the performance of this sensor material was completed at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) FEL. The detectors were operated at a frame rate of 1 MHz with 9.5 keV x-ray pulses delivered at a rate of 120 Hz. Measurements successfully demonstrated the linear response of the CdZnTe material to increasing numbers of x-rays up to a fluence of 8 GeV mm−2 per pulse, the limit of the dynamic range of the LPD ASIC.

Dual-polarity pulse processing and analysis for charge-loss correction in cadmium-zinc-telluride pixel detectors.

Charge losses at the inter-pixel gap are typical drawbacks in cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) pixel detectors. In this work, an original technique able to correct charge losses occurring after the application of charge-sharing addition (CSA) is presented. The method, exploiting the strong relation between the energy after CSA and the beam position at the inter-pixel gap, allows the recovery of charge losses and improvements in energy resolution. Sub-millimetre CZT pixel detectors were investigated with both uncollimated radiation sources and collimated synchrotron X-rays, at energies below and above the K-shell absorption energy of the CZT material. The detectors are DC coupled to fast and low-noise charge-sensitive preamplifiers (PIXIE ASIC) and followed by a 16-channel digital readout electronics, performing multi-parameter analysis (event arrival time, pulse shape, pulse height). Induced-charge pulses with negative polarity were also observed in the waveforms from the charge-sensitive preamplifiers (CSPs) at energies >60 keV. The shape and the height of these pulses were analysed, and their role in the mitigation of charge losses in CZT pixel detectors. These activities are in the framework of an international collaboration on the development of energy-resolved photon-counting systems for spectroscopic X-ray imaging (5-140 keV).

Charge sharing effect on 600 μm pitch pixelated CZT detector for imaging applications

We are currently investigating the spatial resolution of highly pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector for imaging application. A 20 mm×20 mm×5 mm CZT substrate was fabricated with 600 μm pitch pixels (500 μm anode pixels with 100 μm gap) and coplanar cathode. Charge sharing between two pixels was studied using collimated a 122 keV gamma ray source. Experiments show a resolution of 125 μm FWHM for double-pixel charge sharing events when the 600 μm pixelated and 5 mm thick CZT detector biased at −1000 V. In addition, we analyzed the energy response of the 600 μm pitch pixelated CZT detector.

Performance Characteristics of CZT Detectors for PET Imaging Applications

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive, in-vivo imaging technology that plays a critical role in cancer detection, as well as in molecular and cellular imaging. For PET imaging, Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector emerges as a promising alternative to a scintillator and photomultiplier (PMT) detector assembly. In this work, we developed an analytical model to study electron transport, charge collection, signal formation and temporal behavior within a CZT detector. The study is designed to help us optimize a number of detector design parameters including anode/cathode electrode pitch, steering electrode pitch and voltage bias. The performances of a 20×20×5 mm3 pixelated CZT detector were evaluated to demonstrate good energy resolution of ~2.98 ± 0.26% at 511 keV without significant charge sharing effect.

Evaluation of PET Imaging Resolution Using 350 $\mu\hbox{m}$ Pixelated CZT as a VP-PET Insert Detector

A cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) detector with 350 μm pitch pixels was studied in high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) imaging applications. The PET imaging system was based on coincidence detection between a CZT detector and a lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO)-based Inveon PET detector in virtual-pinhole PET geometry. The LSO detector is a 20 ×20 array, with 1.6 mm pitches, and 10 mm thickness. The CZT detector uses ac 20 ×20 ×5 mm substrate, with 350 μm pitch pixelated anodes and a coplanar cathode. A NEMA NU4 Na-22 point source of 250 μm in diameter was imaged by this system. Experiments show that the image resolution of single-pixel photopeak events was 590 μm FWHM while the image resolution of double-pixel photopeak events was 640 μm FWHM. The inclusion of double-pixel full-energy events increased the sensitivity of the imaging system. To validate the imaging experiment, we conducted a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for the same PET system in Geant4 Application for Emission Tomography. We defined LSO detectors as a scanner ring and 350 μm pixelated CZT detectors as an insert ring. GATE simulated coincidence data were sorted into an insert-scanner sinogram and reconstructed. The image resolution of MC-simulated data (which did not factor in positron range and acolinearity effect) was 460 μm at FWHM for single-pixel events. The image resolutions of experimental data, MC simulated data, and theoretical calculation are all close to 500 μm FWHM when the proposed 350 μm pixelated CZT detector is used as a PET insert. The interpolation algorithm for the charge sharing events was also investigated. The PET image that was reconstructed using the interpolation algorithm shows improved image resolution compared with the image resolution without interpolation algorithm.

3-D Spatial Resolution of 350 μm Pitch Pixelated CdZnTe Detectors for Imaging Applications.

We are currently investigating the feasibility of using highly pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors for sub-500 μm resolution PET imaging applications. A 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm CdZnTe substrate was fabricated with 350 μm pitch pixels (250 μm anode pixels with 100 μm gap) and coplanar cathode. Charge sharing among the pixels of a 350 μm pitch detector was studied using collimated 122 keV and 511 keV gamma ray sources. For a 350 μm pitch CdZnTe detector, scatter plots of the charge signal of two neighboring pixels clearly show more charge sharing when the collimated beam hits the gap between adjacent pixels. Using collimated Co-57 and Ge-68 sources, we measured the count profiles and estimated the intrinsic spatial resolution of 350 μm pitch detector biased at -1000 V. Depth of interaction was analyzed based on two methods, i.e., cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time, in both 122 keV and 511 keV measurements. For single-pixel photopeak events, a linear correlation between cathode/anode ratio and electron drift time was shown, which would be useful for estimating the DOI information and preserving image resolution in CdZnTe PET imaging applications.

Compton imaging with the PorGamRays spectrometer

The PorGamRays project aims to develop a portable gamma-ray detection system with both spectroscopic and imaging capabilities. The system is designed around a stack of thin Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors. The imaging capability utilises the Compton camera principle. Each detector is segmented into 100 pixels which are read out through custom designed Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). This device has potential applications in the security, decommissioning and medical fields. This work focuses on the near-field imaging performance of a lab-based demonstrator consisting of two pixelated CZT detectors, each of which is bonded to a NUCAM II ASIC. Measurements have been made with point 133 Ba and 57 Co sources located ∼ 35 mm from the surface of the scattering detector. Position resolution of ∼ 20 mm FWHM in the x and y planes is demonstrated.

Monte Carlo investigation of charge‐transport effects on energy resolution and detection efficiency of pixelated CZT detectors for SPECT/PET applications

Semiconductor detectors are increasingly considered as alternatives to scintillation crystals for nuclear imaging applications such as positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). One of the most prominent detector materials is cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), which is currently used in several application-specific nuclear imaging systems. In this work, the charge-transport effects in pixelated CZT detectors in relation to detector pixel size and thickness are investigated for pixels sizes from 0.4 up to 1.6 mm. The determination of an optimum pixel size and thickness for use with photon energies of 140 and 511 keV, suitable for SPECT and PET studies, is attempted using photon detection efficiency and energy resolution as figures of merit. The Monte Carlo method combined with detailed finite element analysis was utilized to realistically model photon interactions in the detector and the signal generation process. The GEANT4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE) toolkit was used for photon irradiation and interaction simulations. The COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS software application was used to create finite element models of the detector that included charge drift, diffusion, trapping, and generation. Data obtained from the two methods were combined to generate accurate signal induction at the detector pixels. The energy resolution was calculated as the full width at half maximum of the energy spectrum photopeak. Photon detection efficiency was also calculated. The effects of charge transport within the detector and photon escape from primary pixel of interaction were investigated; the extent of diffusion to lateral pixels was also assessed. Charge transport and signal induction were affected by the position of a pixel in the detector. Edge and corner pixels were less susceptible to lateral diffusion than pixels located in the inner part of the detector. Higher detection efficiency and increased photon escape from primary interaction pixel were observed for thicker detectors. Energy resolution achieved better values in 0.7 and 1.0 mm pixel size for 5 mm detector thickness and 1.6 mm pixel size for 10 mm thickness. Selection of pixel size and thickness depends on the imaging application and photon energy utilized. For systems that integrate two nuclear imaging modalities (i.e., combined SPECT/PET), the pixel size should offer an appropriate balance of the effects that take place in the detector, based on the results of the current work. This allows for a system to be designed with the same detector material and the same geometrical configuration for both modalities.

Detailed studies of pixelated CZT detectors grown with the modified horizontal Bridgman method

The detector material Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) achieves excellent spatial resolution and good energy resolution over a broad energy range, several keV up to some MeV. Presently, there are two main methods to grow CZT crystals, the Modified High-Pressure Bridgman (MHB) and the High-Pressure Bridgman (HPB) process. The study presented in this paper is based on MHB CZT substrates from the company Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd. [Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd., 10 Plaut St., Park Rabin, P.O. Box 2489, Rehovot, Israel, 76124]. Former studies have shown that high-work-function materials on the cathode side reduce the leakage current and, therefore, improve the energy resolution at lower energies. None of the studies have emphasized on the anode contact material. Therefore, we present in this paper the result of a detailed study in which for the first time the cathode material was kept constant and the anode material was varied. We used four different anode materials: Indium, Titanium, Chromium and Gold, metals with work-functions between 4.1eV and 5.1eV. The detector size was 2.0×2.0×0.5cm3 with 8×8 pixels and a pitch of 2.46mm. The best performance was achieved with the low-work-function materials Indium and Titanium with energy resolutions of 2.0keV (at 59keV) and 1.9keV (at 122keV) for Titanium and 2.1keV (at 59keV) and 2.9keV (at 122keV) for Indium. Taking into account the large pixel pitch of 2.46mm, these resolutions are very competitive in comparison to those achieved with detectors made of material produced with the more expensive conventional HPB method. We present a detailed comparison of our detector response with 3D simulations. The latter comparisons allow us to determine the mobility-lifetime-products (μτ-products) for electrons and holes. Finally, we evaluated the temperature dependency of the detector performance and μτ-products. For many applications temperature dependence is important, therefore, we extended the scope of our study to temperatures as low as −30°C. There are two important results. The breakdown voltage increases with decreasing temperature, and electron mobility-lifetime-product decreases by about 30% over a range from 20°C to −30°C. The latter effect causes the energy resolution to deteriorate, but the concomitantly increasing breakdown voltage makes it possible to increase the applied bias voltage and restore the full performance.

Simulation studies of CZT detectors as gamma-ray calorimeter

Several astrophysics and nuclear physics applications require the detection of photons in the energy range of keV up to several MeV with good position and energy resolution. For certain applications cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors might be the detector option of choice. Up to now, CZT detectors have mainly been used in the energy range between a few keV and ∼1 MeV. They operate at room temperature and achieve excellent position resolution and substantially better energy resolution than scintillation detectors. Furthermore, they can be built more compact and more economically than Ge detectors and do not require cryogenic cooling. In this paper, we describe the results of 3-D Monte Carlo simulations of a “CZT calorimeter” that can be used to detect photons in the keV to several MeV range. The main objective of these studies is to evaluate the feasibility of CZT calorimeters, to study their performance and detect and understand performance limiting factors. Such a calorimeter consists of many layers of closely packed pixellated CZT detector units. Our simulations of single detector units reproduce experimental results, indicating that our simulations capture the main factors that limit the performance of a detector unit. For a full calorimeter the limiting factors within a range from ∼20 keV to ∼10 MeV are (a) the fact, that the incident energy is not totally deposited within the detector area because secondary particles leave the detector against the direction from which the incident radiation enters, (b) signal loss when the interaction is near the pixel edges and near the anodes. In this case signals which are induced in neighboring pixels are discarded when their intensities lie below the trigger threshold, (c) the steep weighting potential gradient close to the anodes, which affects about 0.25 cm next to the anode and impairs there the correction of the depth of interaction (DOI). This effect dominates in thin detectors (0.5 cm). Understanding the limiting factors we come to the conclusion that 1–1.5 cm thick detector units can be used to build a calorimeter with good performance over the energy range from ∼20 keV to ∼10 MeV.

Characterization of a CZT focal plane small prototype for hard X-ray telescope

The promise of good energy and spatial resolution coupled with high efficiency and room temperature operation has fuelled a large international effort to develop cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) for hard X-ray applications. We are involved on the development of a hard X-ray telescope based on multilayer optics and focal plane detector operative in the 10-80 keV energy range. This telescope requires a high efficiency focal plane providing both fine spatial resolution and spectroscopy with a compact and robust design. This paper reports preliminary results on the characterization both in spectroscopic and spatial response of two small pixellated CZT detectors (10times10times1 mm3 and 10times10times2 mm3 single crystals) with 0.45 mm pixel size. We present the results obtained using both standard commercial read-out electronics Readout Electronics for Nuclear Applications (RENA) and innovative low noise and low power dissipation ASICs developed within the collaboration