On Determining Dead Layer and Detector Thicknesses for a Position-Sensitive Silicon Detector

TL;DR

This paper measures the dead layer and overall thickness of position-sensitive silicon detectors in HiRA using alpha particles and elastic scattering, providing calibration methods and validating manufacturer specifications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to determine dead layer and detector thicknesses in HiRA silicon detectors using alpha sources and elastic scattering data.

Findings

Dead layer thickness determined for each detector.

Detector thickness measurements agree with manufacturer specifications.

Calibration techniques for alpha sources in these detectors.

Abstract

In this work, two particular properties of the position-sensitive, thick silicon detectors (known as the "E" detectors) in the High Resolution Array (HiRA) are investigated: the thickness of the dead layer on the front of the detector, and the overall thickness of the detector itself. The dead layer thickness for each E detector in HiRA is extracted using a measurement of alpha particles emitted from a $^{212}$Pb pin source placed close to the detector surface. This procedure also allows for energy calibrations of the E detectors, which are otherwise inaccessible for alpha source calibration as each one is sandwiched between two other detectors. The E detector thickness is obtained from a combination of elastically scattered protons and an energy-loss calculation method. Results from these analyses agree with values provided by the manufacturer.