Proton Radiation Damage Experiment on a Hybrid CMOS Detector

TL;DR

This study investigates how 8 MeV proton radiation affects the performance of a hybrid CMOS detector, focusing on parameters like noise, dark current, gain, and energy resolution, relevant for space imaging applications.

Contribution

First experimental analysis of proton radiation effects on hybrid CMOS detectors for deep-space imaging environments.

Findings

Radiation increases read noise and dark current.

Gain and energy resolution are affected by proton dose.

Results inform radiation hardness for space-based detectors.

Abstract

We report on the initial results of an experiment to determine the effects of proton radiation damage on an X-ray hybrid CMOS detector (HCD). The device was irradiated at the Edwards Accelerator Lab at Ohio University with 8 MeV protons, up to a total absorbed dose of 3 krad(Si) (4.5 $\times$ 10$^9$ protons/cm$^2$). The effects of this radiation on read noise, dark current, gain, and energy resolution are then analyzed. This exposure is the first of several which will be used for characterizing detector performance at absorbed dose levels that are relevant for imaging devices operating in a deep-space environment.