Experimental characterization of low-energy X-ray semiconductor detectors

Six semiconductor detectors (Si(Li) and HPGe) are calibrated in the 1–10 keV energy range by means of tunable monochromatized synchrotron radiation. Significant improvement in the quality of the response is observed in very recent detectors. A peak shape calibration is established using a modified Hypermet-type function to model the detector response for each energy step; a strong enhancement of the peak tail is shown above the binding energy for each detector material. Fano factors for both semiconductor materials are experimentally derived. This characterization will allow the improved processing of low-energy X-ray spectra by providing the intrinsic response of either kind of detector.