Single crystal artificial diamond detectors for VUV and soft X-rays measurements on JET thermonuclear fusion plasma

Diamond appears to be a promising material for VUV and soft X-ray radiation detection. Its wide band-gap (5.5 eV) results in a very low leakage current (it can operate above room temperature) and its electronic properties (high carrier mobility) allow a fast time response. More importantly, it is optimally suited for harsh environment applications, like those in the JET Tokamak located at the Culham laboratory (UK). Its extreme radiation hardness is well known and another interesting feature, again related to the wide band-gap, is its selective sensitivity to radiation with wavelengths shorter than 225 nm (visible-blind detectors).We report on the performances of two photodetectors based on Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) single crystal diamonds, one optimized for extreme UV detection, the other for soft X-ray radiation detection in the 0.8–8 keV range. These detectors have been fabricated at Roma “Tor Vergata” University using a p-type/intrinsic/metal configuration and they behave like photodiodes allowing operation with no external applied voltage. They have been installed on JET inside a vacuum chamber with a direct horizontal view of JET plasma without any wavelength selection. Their low thickness, low sensitivity to gamma ray and the unbiased operation mode make both detectors ideal for a Tokamak environment. The measurements routinely performed at JET show a low intrinsic dark current (∼0.01 pA) and very high signal to noise ratio (50 dB). Both detectors show a fast response and their signals are acquired using an electronic chain and ADC able to operate at 200 kHz, providing very interesting results for MHD and Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) instability studies on fusion plasmas.