Improvement of SOI microdosimeter performance using pulse-shape discrimination techniques

The timing properties of a silicon-on-insulator microdosimeter for medical and space applications have been studied using an ion microprobe. These measurements were used with a pulse-shape discrimination technique to render the microdosimeter insensitive to ion strikes outside the ideal sensitive volume. These improvements have resulted in a microdosimeter with a cubic sensitive volume with dimensions 10/spl times/10/spl times/10 /spl mu/m/sup 3/, a charge collection spectrum close to Gaussian for a monoenergetic source, and a decreased sensitivity to radiation damage.