Larry Franks - Böcker

The scope of detector materials for semiconductors and scintillators includes a wide variety of molecular compounds such as cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), lanthanum halides, and others. An additional class of scintillators is based on organic compounds and glasses. Ideally, attributes of materials used for radiation detection include appropriate-range bandgaps, high atomic numbers of the central element, high densities, performance at room temperature, strong mechanical properties, and low production cost. Unfortunately, there are significant gaps in the knowledge required to produce radiation detection materials of higher quality - in terms of reproducible purity, homogeneity and mechanical integrity. This book explores results in radiation detection materials from both experimental and theoretical standpoints, as both are needed to grow and characterize materials that will produce better detectors in the future.

Detector materials include semiconductors and scintillators, which are represented by a variety of binary molecular compounds such as lanthanum halides (LaX3), zinc oxide (ZnO) and mercuric iodide (HgI2). Ideally, these materials possess appropriate range bandgaps, high atomic numbers of the central element and high densities. They also perform at room temperature, have strong mechanical properties and low production costs. There are significant gaps, however, in the information needed to improve the quality of these materials - in terms of reproducible purity, homogeneity and mechanical integrity. This book features the latest advances in radiation detection materials, both from experimental and theoretical standpoints, as both are needed to grow and characterize materials that will produce enhanced detectors of the future. Topics include: CdTe and CdZnTe detectors; neutron detectors and scintillators.