Germanium gamma‐ray detectors

NOV 01, 1977

Devices either of lithium‐drifted germanium or the more recently developed high‐purity type find uses in such fields as nuclear and exotic‐atom studies, nuclear medicine and activation analysis.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3037792

Richard H. Pehl

Semiconductor gamma‐ray detectors consist essentially of a piece of solid material in which electrons and holes are produced when a gamma ray is absorbed. These electrons and holes are then collected by an electric field in the material to provide an electric signal that is a direct measure of the energy of the gamma ray. This simple statement implies detector‐material characteristics that are by no means easy to achieve, and much of this article will be concerned with these characteristics.

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More about the authors

Richard H. Pehl, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.