Performance and durability of HgI/sub 2/ X-ray detectors for space missions

Considerable progress has been achieved in HgI/sub 2/ detector fabrication technology and amplification electronics. An energy resolution of 198 eV (full width at half maximum) has been obtained for the Mn K/sub alpha / line of 5.9 keV in a practical X-ray probe without the use of cryogenic cooling. Detectors prepared with Parylene-C encapsulation have demonstrated perfect reliability in two-year tests under high vacuum and temperature and bias cycling. Other HgI/sub 2/ detectors have been used to demonstrate proton-radiation-damage resistance to levels of 10/sup 12/ protons/cm/sup 2/ at 10.7 MeV. It is concluded that HgI/sub 2/ detectors are suitable for the ordinary requirements of energy dispersive detectors in X-ray spectroscopy systems.<
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