Leakage Current Collection Structure for Radiation Detectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor radiation detectors face challenges in efficiently collecting surface-generated charge carriers without interfering with radiation-induced charge carriers, and existing solutions require complex control of electrode gaps and oxide charge distribution.
Innovation Solution
The use of field plates above separations between drift electrodes, biased with electric potentials differing from their surroundings to attract surface-generated charge carriers, and hop-over connections to electrode strips further away, ensuring effective collection without mixing with signal charges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If field plates are used above separations between drift electrodes to collect surface-generated charge carriers, then leakage current collection is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional electrodes and biasing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The field plates are connected to existing drift electrodes through hop-over connections, allowing the same electrode structure to serve multiple functions: maintaining the drift field and collecting surface leakage current. This eliminates the need for completely separate collection electrodes, reducing overall device complexity while improving leakage collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The field plates act as intermediary elements positioned above the separations between drift electrodes. They mediate the collection of surface-generated charge carriers by providing a localized electric field that attracts and collects leakage currents without interfering with the primary drift field function of the underlying electrodes.
2Reliability
If field plates are biased with electric potentials differing from surroundings to attract surface-generated charge carriers, then charge carrier collection is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to potential control needs
Solution Approach 1:
The field plates utilize the same biasing potentials as the underlying drift electrodes through hop-over connections. This means the same voltage control infrastructure serves dual purposes: maintaining the drift field and creating the field plate effect for leakage collection, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements for potential control.
3Productivity
If field plates are used to collect surface-generated charge carriers, then detection efficiency is improved by reducing leakage currents, but the structure becomes less adaptable to different detector configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The field plate structure with hop-over connections can be adapted to various electrode geometries and detector types. The same basic principle of placing conductive elements above separations and connecting them to existing electrodes via hop-over paths can be applied to different configurations, maintaining adaptability while achieving improved leakage collection and detection efficiency.
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
This approach allows for robust and adaptable collection of surface-generated charge carriers, reducing leakage currents and enhancing detection efficiency by minimizing interference with radiation-induced charges, and is independent of oxide charge density and manufacturing process variations.
Implementation Method 1
field plates above separations between drift electrodes, which field plates are biased with electric potentials that differ sufficiently from the immediate surroundings to attract surface-generated charge carriers
Implementation Method 2
A bulk layer 101 of semiconductor material receives and absorbs the radiation, which causes free charge carriers to appear
Data Source
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AI summary
A radiation detector comprises a piece of semiconducting material. On its surface, a number of consecutive electrode strips are configured to assume electric potentials of sequentially increasing absolute value. A field plate covers the most of a separation between a pair of adjacent electrode strips and is isolated from the most of said separation by an electric insulation layer. A bias potential is coupled to said field plate so that attracts surface-generated charge carriers.