Charge collection efficiency of diamond and silicon sensors irradiated with alpha particles

Abstract

To evaluate the viability of using semiconductors as sensor materials in a detector for the Associated Particle Imaging technique, the radiation hardness of silicon and diamond diodes to alpha particles has been assessed. The detector lifetimes for both silicon and diamond sensors were measured under the prolonged exposure to alpha particles emitted by an ²⁴¹Am source. The silicon detector was exposed to alpha radiation for approximately two months, reaching an accumulated fluence of $\sim 1.5\times 10^{12}\alpha {\text{cm}}^{-2}$. Additionally, by using a high purity single-crystal diamond with coplanar electrodes operating with full charge collection, the diamond detector response was measured over approximately ten months reaching an accumulated fluence of over $6\times 10^{12}\alpha$ cm${}^{-2}$.