Semiconductor gamma-ray spectrometry with whole spectrum processing

Abstract

A new method for evaluation of semiconductor γ-ray spectra based on factorization of the response operator, a Scaling Confirmatory Factor Analysis (SCFA), is described. A set of common factors, resulting from fundamental photon interactions with matter (full energy peak, Compton continuum, backscattering peak and the residual factor), has been used. The scaling and loading coefficients for the common factors have been estimated by a confirmatory least squares technique of factor analysis. A latent interpolation of modelling coefficients enables to construct a response function in the response operator for an arbitrary energy of the measured spectrum. The analysis of incidental spectral parameters indicates a significant improvement of the whole spectrum processing. A comparison of the SCFA method with the most commonly used peak net area method shows that the former method is 5–10 times more sensitive (depending on interferences).