Analysis of the surface technology of silicon detectors for imaging of low-energy beta tracers in biological material

Using silicon surface barrier detectors, the counting sensitivity of low-energy beta tracers is considerably influenced by surface technology applied in detector manufacturing. Original diagnostic procedure, using a mixture of uranium fission products, is described to trace the behaviors of different admixtures as in the etching bath as in the water used during development of the detector surface. In combination with some other described analyses, the detectors produced with the developed surface control are used in a PC – controlled scanning equipment reaching at room temperature an FWHM of 3.4 keV for 241Am. Such detectors make it possible to image distribution, of e.g., 3H, 125I, 3H+ 14C and other beta tracer combinations applied in life and environmental sciences.