Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur F&#xf6;rderung Der Wissenschaften E. V.

Peter Holl

Gerhard Lutz

Lothar Strueder

The invention relates to a radiation detector () for detecting low-intensity radiation, especially for detecting individual photons. The radiation detector includes a plurality of rows of image cells () with respective pluralities of image cells () disposed one after the other and respective signal outputs (). The radiation to be detected generates signal charge carriers in the individual image cells (), the charge carriers being transported along the rows of image cells to the respective signal output (). A plurality of output amplifiers () are connected in parallel to one of the signal outputs each of the individual image cell columns and amplify the signal charge carriers. The invention is characterized in that the output amplifiers () include respective avalanche amplifiers ().

Radiation detector for detecting low-intensity radiation by means of avalanche amplification

The invention relates to a semiconductor detector, in particular a pnCCD detector, for radiation detection, including a guard ring () and a readout anode () arranged inside the guard ring () for reading out radiation-generated signal charge carriers (e&#x2212;), and also including a clearing contact () arranged outside the guard ring () for removing the collected signal charge carriers (e&#x2212;) from the readout anode (). According to the invention, the semiconductor detector furthermore includes a gap () in the guard ring () and also a controllable gate () which is arranged over the gap () in the guard ring () and makes the gap () in the guard ring () permeable or impermeable to the signal charge carriers (e&#x2212;) to be removed, depending on an electrical actuation of the gate ().

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Munich, Germany

Peter Holl