Energy-Sensitive Single-Photon X-ray and Particle Imaging

Abstract

Energy-sensitive detectors perform asynchronous arrival detection of single X-Ray photons and particles. Their ability of measuring the detected particles’ energy improves the performance of the particle counting applications and enables spectroscopic applications. In such detectors, either a semiconductor layer for direct conversion or a combination of a scintillator and a semiconductor sensing device for visible photons is used for generation of an electrical charge pulse per absorbed particle. This charge amount, which represents the particle energy, is detected by an asynchronous charge pulse detecting circuit. The noise of such circuits defines the lowest discrimination threshold of counting systems and the energy resolution of spectroscopic applications. Therefore, low noise, low power consumption, and low area are requirements for charge pulse detecting circuits used in segmented energy sensitive particle detectors with a high number of pixels. Choice of a sensing device, definition of the charge pulse detecting circuit’s topology, and analysis of interdependences amongst the above performance parameters are covered and a context with employed readout schemes, processing circuits, and target applications is established in this chapter. Energy-sensitive detectors perform asynchronous arrival detection of single X-Ray photons and particles. Their ability of measuring the detected particles’ energy improves the performance of the particle counting applications and enables spectroscopic applications. In such detectors, either a semiconductor layer for direct conversion or a combination of a scintillator and a semiconductor sensing device for visible photons is used for generation of an electrical charge pulse per absorbed particle. This charge amount, which represents the particle energy, is detected by an asynchronous charge pulse detecting circuit. The noise of such circuits defines the lowest discrimination threshold of counting systems and the energy resolution of spectroscopic applications. Therefore, low noise, low power consumption, and low area are requirements for charge pulse detecting circuits used in segmented energy sensitive particle detectors with a high number of pixels. Choice of a sensing device, definition of the charge pulse detecting circuit’s topology, and analysis of interdependences amongst the above performance parameters are covered and a context with employed readout schemes, processing circuits and target applications is established in this chapter.