My cookie preferencesTCAD simulation of 3D silicon sensors for thermal neutron imaging
Ye J, Polo M, Mendicino R, Quaranta A, Dalla Betta GF
Within the INFN HYDE project, we have developed pixelated hybrid detectors for thermal neutron imaging. Devices are based on microstructured silicon sensors coupled with converter materials.
Compared to standard 3D sensors, the proposed device off ers a more convenient trade-off between technological complexity and neutron detection performance. Nevertheless, experimental results have shown a lower detection effi ciency with respect to the theoretically expected value, which was attributed to an insuffi cient density of negative fi xed charge in theAl 2O3 layer used to passivate the cavities.
TCAD simulations have been performed aimed at gaining deeper insight into this problem. The results reported in this paper confi rm the sensitivity of the sensor performance to the properties of the Si/Al2O3 interface in terms of fi xed charge and surface generation/recombination velocity, providing useful hints for future optimization of the device.
DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/20/02/C02011