Utilization of specific properties of rare earths in preparation of InP based radiation detector structures

Sponsor: Czech Science Foundation

Principal investigator: Olga Procházková, Ph.D.

 Co-principal investigator: Ladislav Pekárek, MSc.

Members: Jan Grym, Ph.D.; Zdeněk Jarchovský, MSc.; Fedor Šrobár, DSc.; Jiří Zavadil, Ph.D.; Karel Žďánský, Ph.D.

From: 206-01-01

To: 2008-12-31

The aim of the project was the utilization of InP epilayers with the addition of rare earths into the growth melt for the detection of ionizing radiation. This novel approach, in the context of radiation detection, enables to prepare pure undoped p- type InP layers and generates knowledge relevant for both the basic research and applications. Two types of detector structures have been prepared and investigated: A) Structure based on bulk semi-insulating (SI) InP material with a thin p-type InP contact layer for X- and ł- ray detection. SI-InP bulk crystals will be prepared by Czochralski method with various dopants and regimes of temperature annealing and the contact p-InP layer will be grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE). B) Structure based on thick p-InP layer for α- particles and soft X- ray detection. P-type InP layers with thickness > 10/m and impurity concentrations  < 10¹⁵cm^-3 have been prepared by LPE on n-type InP Czochralski grown substrate. Suitable metal contacts were prepared by metal evaporation.