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X-ray spectrometer with a low-cost SiC photodiode

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posted on 2023-06-09, 09:10 authored by Shifan Zhao, Grammatiki LioliouGrammatiki Lioliou, Anna BarnettAnna Barnett
A low-cost Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) 4H-SiC 0.06 mm2 UV p-n photodiode was coupled to a low-noise charge-sensitive preamplifier and used as photon counting X-ray spectrometer. The photodiode/spectrometer was investigated at X-ray energies from 4.95 keV to 21.17 keV: a Mo cathode X-ray tube was used to fluoresce eight high-purity metal foils to produce characteristic X-ray emission lines which were used to characterise the instrument. The energy resolution (full width at half maximum, FWHM ) of the spectrometer was found to be 1.6 keV to 1.8 keV, across the energy range. The energy linearity of the detector/spectrometer (i.e. the detector’s charge output per photon as a function of incident photon energy across the 4.95 keV to 21.17 keV energy range), as well as the count rate linearity of the detector/spectrometer (i.e. number of detected photons as a function of photon fluence at a specific energy) were investigated. The energy linearity of the detector/spectrometer was linear with an error <± 0.7 %; the count rate linearity of the detector/spectrometer was linear with an error <± 2 %. The use of COTS SiC photodiodes as detectors for X-ray spectrometers is attractive for nanosatellite/CubeSat applications (including solar flare monitoring), and for cost sensitive industrial uses.

Funding

In situ X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Deep Sea Mining Applications; G1537; STFC-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL; ST/M004635/1

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

ISSN

0168-9002

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

887

Page range

138-143

Department affiliated with

  • Engineering and Design Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-01-29

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-01-29

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-01-29

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