Speaker
Description
Hybrid semiconductor single photon counting detectors developed within the Medipix collaboration at CERN represent a modern detector technology based on the principle of single-particle counting (alpha, gamma, electrons, etc.). A characteristic feature of these detectors is that each pixel contains its own readout electronics (amplifier, discriminator, etc.), which eliminates the integration of additive noise typical of conventional integrating detectors (e.g., flat panels, CMOS). These detectors consist of two separate parts – a sensor chip (Si, CdTe, etc.) and a readout chip (ASIC), which are interconnected using bump bonding technology. Depending on the generation of the readout chip (ROC), the detector provides comprehensive information including the energy of the interacting particle, the time of its interaction with the detector, and the precise spatial localization of this interaction.The readout chip is composed of a 256 × 256 pixel matrix with a pixel size of 55 µm and can be combined with various sensor materials of different thicknesses depending on the specific application.
The main advantages of these detectors include high spatial and temporal resolution, the ability to perform energy discrimination, virtually unlimited dynamic range, minimal noise, and the possibility of achieving subpixel resolution.
These detectors find wide application both in imaging methods (2D and 3D radiography) and in particle tracking methods, where they enable identification of individual particle types and provide comprehensive information about the radiation field in which the detector is located.
This contribution presents the possibilities of using single-photon counting detector technology and the achieved results across a wide spectrum of applications, such as material analysis using X-ray diffraction, non-destructive testing including applications in nuclear energy, monitoring of radiotherapeutic beams, and soft tissue imaging.