Os compostos semicondutores com alto número atômico e energia de banda proibida larga vêm sendo pesquisados como detectores de radiação X e gama, com alta resolução energética, operando à temperatura ambiente. O denominador comum dos materiais semicondutores, que operam à temperatura ambiente, é a dificuldade em crescer cristais com pureza química elevada e boa estequiometria. O desenvolvimento deste tipo de detectores semicondutores de radiação é ainda um desafio tecnológico e tem deparado com muitos fatores limitantes, tais como: material de partida com qualidade compatível para o uso no crescimento de cristal, baixa estabilidade do detector ao longo do tempo, oxidação superficial e outras dificuldades relatadas na literatura, que limitam o seu uso. Neste trabalho, estabeleceu-se a metodologia de transporte físico de vapor (PVT) para a purificação e crescimento do cristal semicondutor de Iodeto de Mercúrio (HgI2). Cristais de HgI2 com orientação cristalina, estequiometria e morfologia da superfície adequadas foram obtidos por essa técnica. Uma redução nítida de impurezas após a purificação pode ser observada e o nível de impureza presente nos cristais não interferiu nas suas estruturas cristalinas. Uma boa morfologia com uniformidade nas camadas da superfície foi encontrada nos cristais, indicando uma boa orientação na estrutura cristalina. Um estudo inédito foi realizado no Laboratório da University of Freiburg, sob a coordenação do Prof. Michael Fiederle, com o intuito de aumentar a estabilidade do detector de HgI2 ao longo do tempo. A aplicação de diferentes tipos de resina polimérica para encapsulamento dos detectores HgI2 foi realizada e estudada, no intuito de proteger o cristal de HgI2 das reações com os gases atmosféricos e isolar eletricamente a superfície dos cristais. Quatro resinas poliméricas foram analisadas, cujas composições são: Resina n 1: 50% - 100% de heptano, 10% - 25% metilcicloexano, <1% de ciclo-hexano; Resina n2: 25% - 50% de etanol, 25% - 50% de acetona, <2,5% de acetato de etilo; Resina n3: 50% - 100% de acetato de metilo, 5% - 10% de n-butilo e Resina 4: 50% - 100% de etil-2- cianoacrilato. A influência dos tipos de resina polimérica utilizada na espectroscopia de desempenho do detector semicondutor HgI2 é, claramente, demonstrada. O melhor resultado foi encontrado para o detector encapsulado com resina n3. Um aumento de até 26 vezes no tempo de estabilidade, como detector de radiação, foi observado para os detectores encapsulados com resina em comparação com o detector não encapsulado, exposto à atmosfera. / The semiconductor compounds with high atomic number and wide band gap energy have been investigated as X and gamma range radiation detectors, with high energy resolution, operating at room temperature. The common denominator of semiconductor materials, which operate at room temperature, is the difficulty to grow crystals with high chemical purity and good stoichiometry. The development of this type of radiation semiconductor detectors is still a technological challenge and it has faced many limiting factors, such as: starting material quality compatible for use in crystal growth, low stability of the detector over the time, surface oxidation and other difficulties reported in the literature, which limit their use. In this work, the Physical vapor transport (PVT) methodology for purification and growth of the Iodide Mercury (HgI2) semiconductor crystals was established. HgI2 crystals with crystalline orientation and suitable surface stoichiometry and morphology were obtained by this technique. A significant reduction of impurities after purification could be observed and the impurity levels present in crystals did not interfere in their crystal structures. A good morphology with uniformity in the surface layers of the crystals was found, indicating a good orientation in the crystal structure. A novel study was conducted at the Laboratory of the University of Freiburg, under the guidance of Prof. Michael Fiederle, in order to increase the stability of the HgI2 detector over the time. The application of different types of polymer resins for encapsulation of HgI2 detectors was carried out and studied, in order to protect the HgI2 crystal of reactions with the atmospheric gases and to isolate, electrically, the surface of these crystals. Four types of polymeric resins were evaluated, and each composition is : (a) Resin n1: 50% - 100% heptane 10% - 25% methyl cyclohexane, <1% cyclohexane; (b) Resin n2: 25% - 50% ethanol, 25% - 50% acetone <2.5% ethyl acetate; (c) Resin n3: 50% - 100% methyl acetate, 5% - 10% n-butyl and (d) Resin n 4: 50% - 100% ethyl-2- cyanoacrylate. The influence of the different types of polymer resins composition, used in the HgI2 detector encapsulation, is clearly demonstrated by the results of the gamma ray spectroscopy. The best results were found for the detector encapsulated with resin n3. An increase of up to 26 times in the stability period was observed for the detectors encapsulated with resin, compared to those which were not encapsulated and, therefore, had been exposed to the atmosphere.

Os compostos semicondutores com alto número atômico e energia de banda proibida larga vêm sendo pesquisados como detectores de radiação X e gama, com alta resolução energética, operando à temperatura ambiente. O denominador comum dos materiais semicondutores, que operam à temperatura ambiente, é a dificuldade em crescer cristais com pureza química elevada e boa estequiometria. O desenvolvimento deste tipo de detectores semicondutores de radiação é ainda um desafio tecnológico e tem deparado com muitos fatores limitantes, tais como: material de partida com qualidade compatível para o uso no crescimento de cristal, baixa estabilidade do detector ao longo do tempo, oxidação superficial e outras dificuldades relatadas na literatura, que limitam o seu uso. Neste trabalho, estabeleceu-se a metodologia de transporte físico de vapor (PVT) para a purificação e crescimento do cristal semicondutor de Iodeto de Mercúrio (HgI2). Cristais de HgI2 com orientação cristalina, estequiometria e morfologia da superfície adequadas foram obtidos por essa técnica. Uma redução nítida de impurezas após a purificação pode ser observada e o nível de impureza presente nos cristais não interferiu nas suas estruturas cristalinas. Uma boa morfologia com uniformidade nas camadas da superfície foi encontrada nos cristais, indicando uma boa orientação na estrutura cristalina. Um estudo inédito foi realizado no Laboratório da University of Freiburg, sob a coordenação do Prof. Michael Fiederle, com o intuito de aumentar a estabilidade do detector de HgI2 ao longo do tempo. A aplicação de diferentes tipos de resina polimérica para encapsulamento dos detectores HgI2 foi realizada e estudada, no intuito de proteger o cristal de HgI2 das reações com os gases atmosféricos e isolar eletricamente a superfície dos cristais. Quatro resinas poliméricas foram analisadas, cujas composições são: Resina n 1: 50% - 100% de heptano, 10% - 25% metilcicloexano, <1% de ciclo-hexano; Resina n2: 25% - 50% de etanol, 25% - 50% de acetona, <2,5% de acetato de etilo; Resina n3: 50% - 100% de acetato de metilo, 5% - 10% de n-butilo e Resina 4: 50% - 100% de etil-2- cianoacrilato. A influência dos tipos de resina polimérica utilizada na espectroscopia de desempenho do detector semicondutor HgI2 é, claramente, demonstrada. O melhor resultado foi encontrado para o detector encapsulado com resina n3. Um aumento de até 26 vezes no tempo de estabilidade, como detector de radiação, foi observado para os detectores encapsulados com resina em comparação com o detector não encapsulado, exposto à atmosfera. / The semiconductor compounds with high atomic number and wide band gap energy have been investigated as X and gamma range radiation detectors, with high energy resolution, operating at room temperature. The common denominator of semiconductor materials, which operate at room temperature, is the difficulty to grow crystals with high chemical purity and good stoichiometry. The development of this type of radiation semiconductor detectors is still a technological challenge and it has faced many limiting factors, such as: starting material quality compatible for use in crystal growth, low stability of the detector over the time, surface oxidation and other difficulties reported in the literature, which limit their use. In this work, the Physical vapor transport (PVT) methodology for purification and growth of the Iodide Mercury (HgI2) semiconductor crystals was established. HgI2 crystals with crystalline orientation and suitable surface stoichiometry and morphology were obtained by this technique. A significant reduction of impurities after purification could be observed and the impurity levels present in crystals did not interfere in their crystal structures. A good morphology with uniformity in the surface layers of the crystals was found, indicating a good orientation in the crystal structure. A novel study was conducted at the Laboratory of the University of Freiburg, under the guidance of Prof. Michael Fiederle, in order to increase the stability of the HgI2 detector over the time. The application of different types of polymer resins for encapsulation of HgI2 detectors was carried out and studied, in order to protect the HgI2 crystal of reactions with the atmospheric gases and to isolate, electrically, the surface of these crystals. Four types of polymeric resins were evaluated, and each composition is : (a) Resin n1: 50% - 100% heptane 10% - 25% methyl cyclohexane, <1% cyclohexane; (b) Resin n2: 25% - 50% ethanol, 25% - 50% acetone <2.5% ethyl acetate; (c) Resin n3: 50% - 100% methyl acetate, 5% - 10% n-butyl and (d) Resin n 4: 50% - 100% ethyl-2- cyanoacrylate. The influence of the different types of polymer resins composition, used in the HgI2 detector encapsulation, is clearly demonstrated by the results of the gamma ray spectroscopy. The best results were found for the detector encapsulated with resin n3. An increase of up to 26 times in the stability period was observed for the detectors encapsulated with resin, compared to those which were not encapsulated and, therefore, had been exposed to the atmosphere.

Nos últimos anos, acentuou-se o interesse em materiais semicondutores com alto número atômico e alto gap de energia para aplicações na detecção de radiação ionizante à temperatura ambiente, usando o método direto de detecção. Este trabalho apresentara as características de dois materiais semicondutores na forma de filme para o iodeto de chumbo e de cristal milimétrico para o iodeto de mercúrio. Os filmes foram depositados a partir da evaporadora térmica construída no próprio departamento e caracterizados em função de três distâncias de deposição. O melhor filme obtido foi produzido a 5 cm de distância da fonte, apresentando valores de gap de energia de 2,39 eV e energia de ativação de 1,1 eV. Com o aumento dessa distância as propriedades estruturais, ópticas e elétricas se deterioram, inclusive com variação da composição do material. Os cristais de iodeto de mercúrio foram dissolvidos no solvente orgânico N-N Dimetilformamida e crescidos utilizando a técnica de deposição de solvente. Diferentes taxas de crescimento foram usadas para o crescimento dos cristais. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos para crescimento na estufa a 80ºC, produzindo filmes com gap de energia de 2,2 eV e resistividade da ordem de 108 ?.cm, indicando dopagem não intencional ou excesso de defeitos. A composição obtida é de HgI3, e a razão da fotocorrente pela corrente de escuro quando na faixa de raios-X mamográficos é da ordem de 25. Com as otimizações indicadas no texto e na conclusão do trabalho esses materiais seriam fortes candidatos para aplicações comerciais em imagens médicas para energias na faixa mamográfica. / In the last years there has been a growing interest in semiconductor materials with high atomic number and optical band gap for applications as ionizing radiation detectors at room temperature, using the direct method of detection. Some materials such as lead iodide (PbI2) and mercury iodide (HgI2) have an optical band gap above 2,0 eV, operate at room temperature with low noise and low leakage current, present a high carrier mobility and high stopping power for ionizing radiation. Alternative methods are investigated by several researchers for the fabrication of these materials on top of large areas, with low fabrication time and costs as desirable for applications in medical imaging. In this sense, we present two methods for the development of the detectors. Thermal evaporation, with the development of the deposition system and chamber, is used for the fabrication of lead iodide thin films. The properties of the films were investigated as a function of deposition height. On the other hand, isothermal evaporation was used for the fabrication of mercury iodide milimetric crystals, for the first time using the organic solvent N.N- dimetilformamide (DMF). The properties of the crystals are investigated as a function of concentration and growth temperature. The structural, morphological and compositional properties of the films and crystals were investigated. The optical and electrical properties were also investigated for both films and crystals. The activation energy for electric transport and the test of the materials as sensors (using X-rays in the mammographic region) were studied. This work presents the main results for both materials: films of lead iodide and milimetric crystals of mercury iodide. The crystalline planes of the films have a preferential orientation along the (110) direction, and a morphology of vertical leaves, not similar to other reported results. The obtained composition is PbI2,5. The combination of the morphology and the configuration of co-planar contacts for charge collection reduce the sensitivity to X-rays exposure. A current density ratio (illuminated to dark) of the order of 1.53 was obtained. The best film was deposited at a distance of 5 cm to the source, and it has an optical gap of 2,39 eV and activation energy of 1,1 eV. With increasing deposition distance a degradation of the structural, optical and electrical properties was observed, even with the variation of the composition of the films. For mercury iodide, for any growth rate the shape of the crystals is always cubic. The morphology of the surface depends on the evaporation rate (it can be smooth or present macroscopic holes). The best results were obtained for a growth at 80o C, what leads to a crystal with optical gap of 2.2 eV and electrical resistivity of the order of 108 Ohmcm, what suggests non-intentional doping or excess of defects. The obtained composition was HgI3, and the current ratio (illuminated by mammographic X-rays to dark) was about 25. According to the discussions in the text and in the conclusions, the suggested optimizations could lead to the development of materials that might be useful for technological applications in medical imaging for the mammographic energy range.

The ability of Mercuric Iodide (HgI2) to function as a highly efficient radiation detector at room temperature has generated great interest and has triggered further studies on this difficult material. This property is expected to enable significant enhancements to a far-ranging variety of applications and systems. HgI2 devices have shown superior performance at room temperature compared to elemental Si or Ge devices, which require to be cooled down to liquid nitrogen temperature when used as nuclear radiation detectors. While substantial studies have been conducted on single crystal HgI2, polycrystalline HgI2 remains a comparatively less studied form of this material. The primary use of HgI2 is as a direct radiation detector. It can also be used in applications with a scintillator intermediate to generate visible light from incident nuclear radiation. Hence its response to visible light can be used to study the electronic properties of HgI2 polycrystalline films. The films are deposited on TEC-15 LOF glass with a Tin Oxide(Sn02) coating which acts as the growth surface. It also acts as the front contact with Palladium (Pd) being the back contact. Wire leads are attached to the palladium for electrical contact. The deposited films are circular in shape with a diameter of 2.5cm with thickness ranging from 50 to 600µm. A maximum of 7 devices are contacted at various points on every film. For the measurements documented in this thesis, a tungsten-halogen lamp and an Oriel 1/4m grating monochromator are used as a light source. The incident flux on the sample is determined using a Si photodiode as reference. Device performance for both single crystal as well as polycrystalline films is documented. We have attempted to identify a set of optimum growth parameters using these measurements. For a film to be considered favorably, not only should the individual devices show high quantum efficiencies and low dark currents, but the response of all devices on the same film should be uniform. A number of films are studied and the optimum film deposition conditions are commented upon. A powerful semiconductor device simulation tool, MEDICItm, is used to simulate the photoresponse of these films. The simulations are compared to the measurements and the transport and light absorption parameters of the polycrystalline films are determined.

Nos últimos anos, acentuou-se o interesse em materiais semicondutores com alto número atômico e alto gap de energia para aplicações na detecção de radiação ionizante à temperatura ambiente, usando o método direto de detecção. Este trabalho apresentara as características de dois materiais semicondutores na forma de filme para o iodeto de chumbo e de cristal milimétrico para o iodeto de mercúrio. Os filmes foram depositados a partir da evaporadora térmica construída no próprio departamento e caracterizados em função de três distâncias de deposição. O melhor filme obtido foi produzido a 5 cm de distância da fonte, apresentando valores de gap de energia de 2,39 eV e energia de ativação de 1,1 eV. Com o aumento dessa distância as propriedades estruturais, ópticas e elétricas se deterioram, inclusive com variação da composição do material. Os cristais de iodeto de mercúrio foram dissolvidos no solvente orgânico N-N Dimetilformamida e crescidos utilizando a técnica de deposição de solvente. Diferentes taxas de crescimento foram usadas para o crescimento dos cristais. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos para crescimento na estufa a 80ºC, produzindo filmes com gap de energia de 2,2 eV e resistividade da ordem de 108 ?.cm, indicando dopagem não intencional ou excesso de defeitos. A composição obtida é de HgI3, e a razão da fotocorrente pela corrente de escuro quando na faixa de raios-X mamográficos é da ordem de 25. Com as otimizações indicadas no texto e na conclusão do trabalho esses materiais seriam fortes candidatos para aplicações comerciais em imagens médicas para energias na faixa mamográfica. / In the last years there has been a growing interest in semiconductor materials with high atomic number and optical band gap for applications as ionizing radiation detectors at room temperature, using the direct method of detection. Some materials such as lead iodide (PbI2) and mercury iodide (HgI2) have an optical band gap above 2,0 eV, operate at room temperature with low noise and low leakage current, present a high carrier mobility and high stopping power for ionizing radiation. Alternative methods are investigated by several researchers for the fabrication of these materials on top of large areas, with low fabrication time and costs as desirable for applications in medical imaging. In this sense, we present two methods for the development of the detectors. Thermal evaporation, with the development of the deposition system and chamber, is used for the fabrication of lead iodide thin films. The properties of the films were investigated as a function of deposition height. On the other hand, isothermal evaporation was used for the fabrication of mercury iodide milimetric crystals, for the first time using the organic solvent N.N- dimetilformamide (DMF). The properties of the crystals are investigated as a function of concentration and growth temperature. The structural, morphological and compositional properties of the films and crystals were investigated. The optical and electrical properties were also investigated for both films and crystals. The activation energy for electric transport and the test of the materials as sensors (using X-rays in the mammographic region) were studied. This work presents the main results for both materials: films of lead iodide and milimetric crystals of mercury iodide. The crystalline planes of the films have a preferential orientation along the (110) direction, and a morphology of vertical leaves, not similar to other reported results. The obtained composition is PbI2,5. The combination of the morphology and the configuration of co-planar contacts for charge collection reduce the sensitivity to X-rays exposure. A current density ratio (illuminated to dark) of the order of 1.53 was obtained. The best film was deposited at a distance of 5 cm to the source, and it has an optical gap of 2,39 eV and activation energy of 1,1 eV. With increasing deposition distance a degradation of the structural, optical and electrical properties was observed, even with the variation of the composition of the films. For mercury iodide, for any growth rate the shape of the crystals is always cubic. The morphology of the surface depends on the evaporation rate (it can be smooth or present macroscopic holes). The best results were obtained for a growth at 80o C, what leads to a crystal with optical gap of 2.2 eV and electrical resistivity of the order of 108 Ohmcm, what suggests non-intentional doping or excess of defects. The obtained composition was HgI3, and the current ratio (illuminated by mammographic X-rays to dark) was about 25. According to the discussions in the text and in the conclusions, the suggested optimizations could lead to the development of materials that might be useful for technological applications in medical imaging for the mammographic energy range.

Mercuric Iodide is the most promising of all semiconductor materials currently under investigation for use as radiation detectors at room temperature. While substantial studies have been conducted on single crystal HgI2, polycrystalline HgI2 remains a comparatively less studied form. The HgI2 films are deposited on TEC-15 LOF glass with a Tin Oxide (SnO2) coating which acts as the growth surface and front contact. The back contact, Palladium (Pd), is deposited by sputtering through a shadow mask. The films are circular in shape with an approximate diameter of 2.5 cm and thicknesses ranging from 50-600 micro m. The film has seven contact points defined by Pd electrodes for spectral response(SR) and I-V measurements. Measurements were done on the film with a visible light source. Numerical modeling helps us understand device properties and processes that take place in operation of the device. The focus of this work was to identify loss mechanisms in photoresponse, reveal fundamental device properties, and develop a quantitative device model for MSM HgI2 thin films using the DC Device modeling simulation tool MEDICI ™. The values for input parameters were chosen from literatutheory and reasonable estimates. Comprehensive studies were performed to investigate the sensitivity of SR and light I-V characteristics to each input parameter. Surface&Bulk recombinations have been investigated in this thesis. A Single, homogeneous region with all possible combinations of carrier mobilities, surface and bulk recombination parameters was not able to explain completely the measured SR. A Two-region model with the first region (0-0.5) μ m being surface&bulk recombination dominated, and the second (0.5-300) μ m bulk recombination dominated, was able to match the complete measured SR of current devices. The key parameters determined from the simulations are the mobilities, bulk lifetimes and surface-recombination velocities at the front contact for both carriers. These are consistent with expectations based upon known single crystal properties

Mercuric Iodide in its tetragonal form has received a lot of attention for many years as a prospective room temperature X-ray and y-ray detector. Its basic properties are well suited for this purpose. Its wide band gap of 2.1eV contributes to a high dark resistivity of 1012ohm-cm or higher. A high atomic number of its constituent atoms (Hg-80, I -53) and a density of 6.3g/cm3 result in its efficient interaction with incident X-ray or y-ray radiation. Single crystalline mercuric iodide has been thoroughly studied and successfully utilized in commercial radiation detectors. But with the urgent need for large area ,low cost efficient X-ray detectors, focus has now shifted towards the development and understanding of the properties of thin film Polycrystalline Mercuric iodide detectors. Such detectors also have the advantage of being most suited for direct X-ray detection i.e. a direct conversion of incident X rays into electric signals which are then used to obtain an equivalent image in digital X-ray imaging. They also can be used in applications where a scintillator intermediate is used to generate visible light from incident high energy photons.Therefore it is important to study their optical response in order to understand and evaluate their Optical Properties. The present work focuses on obtaining the Optical response of the thin film Mercuric iodide photoconductive detectors .These films were grown on TEC-15 LOF glass with a Tin Oxide (SnO2) coating on it, which acts as a growth surface for the films and also functions as the front contact of the detector.Palladium which is sputtered on top of this film acts as the back contact. There are a total of seven contacted devices on each film sample and each device has been tested for its optical response in terms of Spectral Response and I-V characteristics in both light and dark conditions.

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2016-02-03T12:00:17Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-03T12:00:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2016-02-03T12:00:17Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-03T12:00:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Os compostos semicondutores com alto número atômico e energia de banda proibida larga vêm sendo pesquisados como detectores de radiação X e gama, com alta resolução energética, operando à temperatura ambiente. O denominador comum dos materiais semicondutores, que operam à temperatura ambiente, é a dificuldade em crescer cristais com pureza química elevada e boa estequiometria. O desenvolvimento deste tipo de detectores semicondutores de radiação é ainda um desafio tecnológico e tem deparado com muitos fatores limitantes, tais como: material de partida com qualidade compatível para o uso no crescimento de cristal, baixa estabilidade do detector ao longo do tempo, oxidação superficial e outras dificuldades relatadas na literatura, que limitam o seu uso. Neste trabalho, estabeleceu-se a metodologia de transporte físico de vapor (PVT) para a purificação e crescimento do cristal semicondutor de Iodeto de Mercúrio (HgI2). Cristais de HgI2 com orientação cristalina, estequiometria e morfologia da superfície adequadas foram obtidos por essa técnica. Uma redução nítida de impurezas após a purificação pode ser observada e o nível de impureza presente nos cristais não interferiu nas suas estruturas cristalinas. Uma boa morfologia com uniformidade nas camadas da superfície foi encontrada nos cristais, indicando uma boa orientação na estrutura cristalina. Um estudo inédito foi realizado no Laboratório da University of Freiburg, sob a coordenação do Prof. Michael Fiederle, com o intuito de aumentar a estabilidade do detector de HgI2 ao longo do tempo. A aplicação de diferentes tipos de resina polimérica para encapsulamento dos detectores HgI2 foi realizada e estudada, no intuito de proteger o cristal de HgI2 das reações com os gases atmosféricos e isolar eletricamente a superfície dos cristais. Quatro resinas poliméricas foram analisadas, cujas composições são: Resina n 1: 50% - 100% de heptano, 10% - 25% metilcicloexano, <1% de ciclo-hexano; Resina n2: 25% - 50% de etanol, 25% - 50% de acetona, <2,5% de acetato de etilo; Resina n3: 50% - 100% de acetato de metilo, 5% - 10% de n-butilo e Resina 4: 50% - 100% de etil-2- cianoacrilato. A influência dos tipos de resina polimérica utilizada na espectroscopia de desempenho do detector semicondutor HgI2 é, claramente, demonstrada. O melhor resultado foi encontrado para o detector encapsulado com resina n3. Um aumento de até 26 vezes no tempo de estabilidade, como detector de radiação, foi observado para os detectores encapsulados com resina em comparação com o detector não encapsulado, exposto à atmosfera. / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 64 pages. / Thesis (M.E.E.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The ability of Mercuric Iodide (HgI2) to function as a highly efficient radiation detector at room temperature has generated great interest and has triggered further studies on this difficult material. This property is expected to enable significant enhancements to a far-ranging variety of applications and systems. HgI2 devices have shown superior performance at room temperature compared to elemental Si or Ge devices, which require to be cooled down to liquid nitrogen temperature when used as nuclear radiation detectors. While substantial studies have been conducted on single crystal HgI2, polycrystalline HgI2 remains a comparatively less studied form of this material. The primary use of HgI2 is as a direct radiation detector. It can also be used in applications with a scintillator intermediate to generate visible light from incident nuclear radiation. Hence its response to visible light can be used to study the electronic properties of HgI2 polycrystalline films. / ABSTRACT: The films are deposited on TEC-15 LOF glass with a Tin Oxide(Sn02) coating which acts as the growth surface. It also acts as the front contact with Palladium (Pd) being the back contact. Wire leads are attached to the palladium for electrical contact. The deposited films are circular in shape with a diameter of 2.5cm with thickness ranging from 50 to 600ìm. A maximum of 7 devices are contacted at various points on every film. For the measurements documented in this thesis, a tungsten-halogen lamp and an Oriel 1/4m grating monochromator are used as a light source. The incident flux on the sample is determined using a Si photodiode as reference. Device performance for both single crystal as well as polycrystalline films is documented. We have attempted to identify a set of optimum growth parameters using these measurements. / ABSTRACT: For a film to be considered favorably, not only should the individual devices show high quantum efficiencies and low dark currents, but the response of all devices on the same film should be uniform. A number of films are studied and the optimum film deposition conditions are commented upon. A powerful semiconductor device simulation tool, MEDICItm, is used to simulate the photoresponse of these films. The simulations are compared to the measurements and the transport and light absorption parameters of the polycrystalline films are determined. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.