Chapter Mechanisms of Charge Transport and Photoelectric Conversion in CdTe-Based X- and Gamma-Ray Detectors

Abstract

This chapter deals with (i) the charge transport mechanisms in X- and gamma-ray detectors both Ohmic and Schottky types based on CdTe and its alloys with an almost intrinsic conductivity (the peculiarities of the formation of self-compensated complexes due to the doping of Cd(Zn)Te crystals with elements of III or V groups (In, Cl) are taken into account); (ii) the reasons of insufficient energy resolution in the X- and gamma-ray spectra taken with the detectors under study; (iii) the quantitative model which describes the spectral distribution of the detection efficiency of Cd(Zn)Te crystals with Schottky diodes; (iv) a correlation between the concentration of uncompensated impurities in the Cd(Zn)Te crystals and collection efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers in the detectors with a Schottky contact; (v) the possibility of applications of CdTe thin films with a Schottky contact as an alternative to the existing X-rays image detectors based on a-Se.