Photon detector configured to employ the Gunn effect and method of use
| DWPI Title: Gallium arsenide photon detector for detecting high-energy photons e.g. x-rays, has compensated i-region that is doped to have free carrier concentration less than specific value and is configured to exhibit Gunn effect |
| Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to photon detectors configured to employ the Gunn effect for detecting high-energy photons (e.g., x-rays and gamma rays) and methods of use. In an embodiment, a photon detector for detecting high-energy photons is disclosed. The photon detector includes a p-i-n semiconductor diode having a p-type semiconductor region, an n-type semiconductor region, and a compensated i-region disposed between the p-type semiconductor region and the n-type semiconductor region. The compensated i-region and has a width of about 100 μm to about 400 μm and is configured to exhibit the Gunn effect when the p-i-n semiconductor diode is forward biased a sufficient amount. The compensated i-region is doped to include a free carrier concentration of less than about 1010 cm−3. |
| Use: Photon detector for detecting high-energy photons e.g. x-rays and gamma rays. |
| Advantage: The sufficiently strong electrical voltage, forces the electrons into a state of lower mobility in Gunn effect to decrease an electrical conductivity of the compensated i-region thus increasing the resistivity of the compensated i-region. The doping for compensation is to counter residual acceptor impurities. |
| Novelty: The detector (100) has a p-i-n semiconductor diode (102) with p-type and n-type semiconductor regions (106,108). A compensated i-region (104) is arranged between the semiconductor regions, in which the compensated i-region has a width of about 100 μ m to about 400 μ m. The compensated i-region is configured to exhibit the Gunn effect when the p-i-n semiconductor diode is forward biased a sufficient amount. The compensated i-region is doped to have a free carrier concentration of less than about 1010 cm-3. |
| Filed: 9/10/2013 |
| Application Number: US14023348A |
| Tech ID: SD 11957.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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