Calibration of SiC Detectors for Nitrogen and Neon Plasma Emission Using Gas-Puff Target Sources

A silicon carbide (SiC) detector was calibrated in terms of quantum efficiency (QE) as well as its spectral responsivity at two different wavelength radiations (λ_N2 = 2.88 nm and λ_Ne = 1.35 nm), using two different calibrated Si detectors, sensitive to the soft X-ray radiation (λ = 0.1 ÷ 10 nm). An Nd:YAG laser was employed to irradiate a nitrogen and a neon gas-puff target, producing a plasma, which is emitting radiation used for estimation of the detector parameters. A possibility to characterize a new generation of not commercial SiC detectors, with a higher band gap with respect to Si, employing a gas-puff target source, will be presented. Measurements show the SiC detectors QE, equal to 3.4 and 7.1 e/ph for 2.88- and 1.35-nm wavelength radiations, respectively. Calculations and results are reported and discussed.

I. Introduction

Due to the recent technological progress, several type of semiconductor devices have been developed to improve the radiation detection of photons, electrons, ions, and neutrons. An important class of detectors concerns devices based on new semiconductors that allow monitoring on-line the radiation parameters, such as energy and intensity, because of their high sensitivity and fast response time of a few nanoseconds.