Response of Silicon Transmission Detectors to Monoenergetic Electrons

Silicon transmission semiconductor detectors with thicknesses of 191 and 530 ¿m were exposed to normally incident electrons with energies of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 MeV. When the detector thickness is less than the incident electron range, the pulse-height distributions produced by the electrons in these detectors were characterized by an absorption peak and a relatively broad escape peak which was associated with transmission and reflection of electrons. Comparisons were made between the experimental pulse-height distributions and Monte Carlo results calculated for identical conditions. Good agreement was found between theory and experiment at 0.75 and 1.00 MeV; however, differences, that remain to be explained, appeared in the position of the escape peak at 0.25 and 0.50 MeV.