A fast, convenient, X-ray detector

We investigate the response of 5 × 5 mm2 silicon reach-through avalanche photodiodes followed by high bandwidth electronics to X-rays between 6 and 30 keV. In particular, we demonstrate high-dynamic range (∼109) with maximum count rates in excess of 107 Hz, and good, ∼20%, pulse-height resolution with the same amplification scheme. Single diodes have good efficiencies below 20 keV while a stack of diodes is shown to have better than 30% efficiency at 30 keV. The time resolution of these devices is about 1.6 ns. Application to nuclear scattering experiments with synchrotron radiation is discussed.