Copper Halide Chalcogenide Semiconductor for Hard Radiation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor materials for hard radiation detection, such as Cd0.9Zn0.1Te, TlBr, HgI2, and PbI2, face issues like intrinsic defects, polarization effects, and low mechanical processability, limiting their effectiveness for high-resolution, compact detectors.
Innovation Solution
Copper halide chalcogenide semiconductor materials, specifically Cu2I2Se6 and its solid solutions, are used to convert incident radiation into electric signals, offering high photon stopping power, chemical stability, and efficient charge transport properties for radiation detection and photovoltaic applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional semiconductor materials (Cd0.9Zn0.1Te, TlBr, HgI2, PbI2) are used for hard radiation detection, then detection performance can be achieved, but intrinsic defects, polarization effects, and low mechanical processability limit their effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing copper halide chalcogenide compounds with specific stoichiometric ratios (e.g., Cu2I2Se6, Cu2-xAxAIx-yBxB1-yTe3). This compositional parameter change eliminates intrinsic defects and polarization effects while maintaining high detection performance and improving mechanical processability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material strategies by creating solid solutions and doped variants of copper halide chalcogenides. These composite structures combine the advantages of different elements to achieve defect-free crystalline structures with superior electrical and mechanical properties compared to traditional single-phase materials.
2Volume of moving object
If semiconductor detectors are made compact for higher resolution, then detector size is reduced, but material quality requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes crystal growth parameters and processing conditions to produce high-quality copper halide chalcogenide crystals with controlled stoichiometry and minimal defects. This enables fabrication of compact detectors while maintaining the stringent material quality required for high-resolution detection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Cu2I2Se6 demonstrates high electron mobility and chemical stability, enabling effective detection of hard radiation at room temperature with improved spectroscopic performance and mechanical stability, comparable to leading materials like TlBr, and suitable for photovoltaic applications.
Implementation Method 1
the material absorbs the incident radiation and electron-hole pairs are generated in the material
Implementation Method 2
exposing a layer comprising a copper halide chalcogenide metal inorganic framework (for example, Cu2I2Se6) under an applied electric field, to incident solar radiation, wherein the material absorbs the incident radiation and electron-hole pairs are generated in the material to produce a photocurrent
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor material having the molecular formula Cu2l2Se6 is provided. Also provided are solid solutions of semiconductor materials having the formulas Cu2lxBr2-xSeyTe6-y and Cu2lxBr2-xSeyS6-y, where 0≤x≤1 and 0≤y≤3. Methods and devices that use the semiconductor materials to convert incident radiation into an electric signal are also provided. The devices include optoelectronic and photonic devices, such as photodetectors, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cells.