High radiation detection performance from photoactive semiconductor single crystals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11749771-B2
Application number	US-202117523141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 7, 2017
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Methods and devices for detecting incident radiation are provided. The methods and devices use high quality single-crystals of photoactive semiconductor compounds in combination with metal anodes and metal cathodes that provide for enhanced photodetector performance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for the detection of incident radiation comprising:
a photoactive single-crystalline semiconductor selected from: Hg 3 Q 2 X 2 , where Q represents a chalcogen atom or a combination of chalcogen atoms and X represents a halogen atom or a combination of halogen atoms; Tl 6 BI 4 , wherein B is sulfur or selenium; and A 2 P 2 X 6 , where A represents Pb or Sn and X represents S or Se;
at least one metal anode in electrical communication with the photoactive single-crystalline semiconductor, wherein the metal anode is selected from the group consisting of a gallium anode, a chromium anode, a titanium anode, an indium anode, an indium-calcium alloy anode, a lead anode, an aluminum anode, a magnesium anode, a hafnium anode, a bismuth anode and an anode comprising an alloy of two or more of gallium, chromium, titanium, indium, lead, aluminum, magnesium, hafnium anode, and bismuth;
at least one metal cathode in electrical communication with the photoactive single-crystalline semiconductor, wherein the metal cathode is selected from a gold cathode, a platinum cathode, a nickel cathode, an osmium cathode, a palladium cathode, a selenium cathode, and a cathode comprising an alloy of two or more of gold, platinum, nickel, osmium, palladium, and selenium;
a detector configured to measure a signal generated by electron-hole pairs that are formed when the photoactive single-crystalline semiconductor is exposed to incident gamma radiation and/or nuclear radiation.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode is the gallium anode.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the metal cathode is the gold cathode.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the metal cathode is the platinum cathode.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode is the bismuth anode.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode is the indium anode.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the metal cathode is the gold cathode.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the metal cathode is the platinum cathode.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode is the aluminum anode.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the metal cathode is the gold cathode.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the metal cathode is the platinum cathode.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode is the lead anode.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the metal cathode is the gold cathode.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the metal cathode is the platinum cathode.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode is the magnesium anode.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the metal cathode is a gold cathode.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the metal cathode is the platinum cathode.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is encapsulated in wax or a polymer coating.

19. A method for detecting incident radiation using
a device for comprising:
a photoactive single-crystalline semiconductor selected from Hg 3 Q 2 X 2 , where Q represents a chalcogen atom or a combination of chalcogen atoms and X represents a halogen atom or a combination of halogen atoms; Tl 6 BI 4 , wherein B is sulfur or selenium; and A 2 P 2 X 6 , where A represents Pb or Sn and X represents S or Se;
at least one metal anode in electrical communication with the single-crystalline semiconductor, wherein the metal anode is selected from the group consisting of a gallium anode, a chromium anode, a titanium anode, an indium anode, an indium-calcium alloy anode, a lead anode, an aluminum anode, a magnesium anode, a hafnium anode, a bismuth anode and an anode comprising an alloy of two or more of gallium, chromium, titanium, indium, lead, aluminum, magnesium, hafnium anode, and bismuth;
at least one metal cathode in electrical communication with the photoactive single-crystalline semiconductor, wherein the metal cathode is selected from a gold cathode, a platinum cathode, a nickel cathode, an osmium cathode, a palladium cathode, a selenium cathode, and an anode comprising two or more of gold, platinum, nickel, osmium, palladium, and selenium;
a detector configured to measure a signal generated by electron-hole pairs that are formed when the material is exposed to incident gamma radiation and/or nuclear radiation, the method comprising:
exposing the photoactive, single-crystalline semiconductor to incident gamma radiation and/or nuclear radiation, wherein the material absorbs the incident gamma radiation and/or nuclear radiation and electron-hole pairs are generated in the material; and
measuring at least one of the energy or intensity of the absorbed incident gamma radiation by detecting the generated electrons, holes, or both.

20. A device for the detection of incident radiation comprising:
single-crystalline CsPbX 3 , where X represents Br or Cl;
a bismuth metal anode in electrical communication with the CsPbX 3 ;
at least one metal cathode in electrical communication with the CsPbX 3 , wherein the at least one metal cathode is selected from a gold cathode, a platinum cathode, a nickel cathode, an osmium cathode, a palladium cathode, a selenium cathode, and a cathode comprising two or more of gold, platinum, nickel, osmium, palladium, and selenium; wherein the anode and cathode are configured to apply an electric field across the material; and
a detector configured to measure a signal generated by electron-hole pairs that are formed when the material is exposed to incident gamma radiation and/or nuclear radiation.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the metal cathode is the gold cathode.

22. The device of claim 20 , wherein X is Br.

23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the metal cathode is the gold cathode.

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Kanatzidis Mercouri G
• He Yihui

Classifications

• H10F77/20

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H10F77/12

  Active materials · CPC title

• H10F30/301 Primary

  the devices being sensitive to very short wavelength, e.g. being sensitive to X-rays, gamma-rays or corpuscular radiation · CPC title

• H01L31/085 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C30B11/003

  Heating or cooling of the melt or the crystallised material · CPC title