Semiconductor X-ray detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514472-B2
Application number	US-201815946773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Apr 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a radiation absorption layer comprising an electrode; a counter configured to register a number of radiation particles absorbed by the radiation absorption layer; a controller configured to start a time delay from a time at which an absolute value of an electrical signal on the electrode equals or exceeds an absolute value of a first threshold; a comparator configured to compare the electrical signal to a second threshold; wherein the controller is configured to activate the comparator during the time delay; wherein the controller is configured to cause the number registered by the counter to change, if the comparator determines that an absolute value of the electrical signal equals or exceeds an absolute value of the second threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a radiation absorption layer comprising an electrode;
a counter configured to register a number of radiation particles absorbed by the radiation absorption layer;
a controller configured to start a time delay from a time at which an absolute value of an electrical signal on the electrode equals or exceeds an absolute value of a first threshold;
a comparator configured to compare the electrical signal to a second threshold;
wherein the controller is configured to activate the comparator during the time delay;
wherein the controller is configured to cause the number registered by the counter to change, if the comparator determines that the absolute value of the electrical signal equals or exceeds an absolute value of the second threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a capacitor module electrically connected to the electrode, wherein the capacitor module is configured to collect charge carriers from the electrode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the comparator at a beginning or expiration of the time delay.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a meter, wherein the controller is configured to cause the meter to measure the electrical signal upon expiration of the time delay.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an energy of the radiation particles based on a value of the electrical signal measured upon expiration of the time delay.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to connect the electrode to an electrical ground.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a rate of change of the electrical signal is substantially zero at expiration of the time delay.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a rate of change of the electrical signal is substantially non-zero at expiration of the time delay.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorption layer comprises a diode.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorption layer comprises silicon, germanium, GaAs, CdTe, CdZnTe, or a combination thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus does not comprise a scintillator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an array of pixels.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiation particles are photons.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the photons are X-ray photons.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal is a voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising another comparator configured to compare the electrical signal to the first threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the comparator at expiration of the time delay or at a time when the absolute value of the electrical signal equals or exceeds the absolute value of the second threshold, or a time in between.

18. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a radiation source, wherein the system is configured to perform radiography on human chest or abdomen.

19. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a radiation source, wherein the system is configured to perform radiography on human mouth.

20. A cargo scanning or non-intrusive inspection (NII) system, comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a radiation source, wherein the cargo scanning or non-intrusive inspection (NII) system is configured to form an image using backscattered radiation.

21. A cargo scanning or non-intrusive inspection (NII) system, comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a radiation source, wherein the cargo scanning or non-intrusive inspection (NII) system is configured to form an image using radiation transmitted through an object inspected.

22. A full-body scanner system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a radiation source.

23. A computed tomography (CT) system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a radiation source.

24. An electron microscope comprising the apparatus of claim 1 , an electron source and an electronic optical system.

25. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the system is a radiation telescope, or a radiation microscopy, or wherein the system is configured to perform mammography, industrial defect detection, microradiography, casting inspection, weld inspection, or digital subtraction angiography.

26. A method comprising:
starting a time delay from a time at which an absolute value of an electrical signal on an electrode of a radiation absorption layer equals or exceeds an absolute value of a first threshold;
activating a circuit during the time delay, wherein the circuit is configured to compare the absolute value of the electrical signal to an absolute value of a second threshold;
determining whether an absolute value of the electrical signal equals or exceeds an absolute value of the second threshold;
changing a count of radiation particles incident on the radiation absorption layer in response to determination that the absolute value of the electrical signal equaling or exceeding the absolute value of the second threshold.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising connecting the electrode to an electrical ground.

28. The method of claim 26 , further comprising measuring the electrical signal upon expiration of the time delay.

29. The method of claim 26 , further comprising determining an energy of the radiation particles based on a value of the electrical signal at expiration of the time delay.

30. The method of claim 26 , wherein a rate of change of the electrical signal is substantially zero at expiration of the time delay.

31. The method of claim 26 , wherein a rate of change of the electrical signal is substantially non-zero at expiration of the time delay.

32. The method of claim 26 , wherein activating the circuit is at a beginning or expiration of the time delay.

33. The method of claim 26 , further comprising deactivating the circuit at an expiration of the time delay or at a time when the absolute value of the electrical signal equals or exceeds the absolute value of the second threshold.

34. The method of claim 26 , wherein the radiation particles are photons.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the photons are X-ray photons.

36. The method of claim 26 , wherein the electrical signal is a voltage.

Assignees

• Shenzhen Xpectvision Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cao Peiyan

Classifications

• G01N23/041

  Phase-contrast imaging, e.g. using grating interferometers · CPC title

• G01N23/04

  and forming images of the material · CPC title

• G01T1/2928

  using solid state detectors · CPC title

• G01T1/17 Primary

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector {(pulse-selection circuits H03K, G01R)} · CPC title

• A61B6/4233 Primary

  using matrix detectors · CPC title