Study of silicon carbide for X-ray detection and spectroscopy

This work presents an analysis of silicon carbide (SiC) as semiconductor for the realization of detectors for soft X-ray (<20 keV). On the basis of experimental data on prototype SiC junctions, the performance in X-ray spectroscopy using planar diode and drift detectors in. SiC have been estimated in a wide range of operating temperature (up to 150 degreesC). It has been derived that, due to their extremely, low reverse current density (4.7 pA/cm(2) at 300 K and 17 pA/cm(2) at 340 K and at electric field of 100 kV/cm), SiC detectors can potentially reach I super or performance with respect to all the other semiconductors presently employed at or above room temperature. In particular, a comparative theoretical analysis, based on experimental data on state-of-the-art silicon and. SiC junctions, shows that SiC detectors with areas larger than 1 mm(2) have the potentiality to offer higher energy resolution when operating, at temperature above 25 degreesC. Energy resolution of about 700 and 1300 eV FWHM have been estimated for 1 mm(2) and 10 mm(2) SiC pad detectors operating at 100 degreesC with a silicon front-end FET. The contribution of a standard silicon front-end electronics, on the system performance has been analyzed. The open issues in SiC technology for X-ray detector development are highlighted.