TCT characterization of different semiconductor materials for particle detection

The development of digital semiconductor based X-ray detectors necessitates a detailed understanding of the applied sensor material. Under this premise a broad-band transient current technique (TCT) setup has been developed and used to characterize different semiconductors. The measurements are based on the generation of electrical charges within the sensor material and the subsequent time-resolved analysis of the charge carrier movement. From the recorded current pulses the charge collection efficiency, the charge carrier mobility and the electric field profile have been extracted. The examined materials are silicon p in n diodes, ohmic and Schottky contacted CdTe detectors, CdZnTe (CZT) crystals with Schottky contacts as well as two single-crystal CVD-diamonds.