Radiation detector properties of CdTe0.9Se0.1:Cl crystals grown under microgravity in a rotating magnetic field

Abstract The influence of growth conditions on radiation detector performance was studied by examining Cd(Te,Se):Cl crystals. They were grown by the travelling heater method under microgravity conditions during the PHOTON 8 mission. An additional forced convection was produced by a rotating magnetic field (400 Hz) of 2 mT. The influence on crystal quality was analyzed by several characterization methods such as time dependent charge measurement, photo-induced current transient spectroscopy and admittance spectroscopy. The charge collection efficiency of detectors was increased from 10% without magnetic field up to 66% by the influence of the rotating magnetic field. The improved detector performance is explained by the increased resistivity and a reduced number of deep levels.