Small area high purity germanium detectors for use in the energy range 100 eV to 100 keV

Abstract

The performance of small-area high-purity germanium detectors used to detect X-rays in the energy range from 100 eV to 100 keV is discussed. The response at low, medium and high energies, the variation of detector performance with high voltage bias, and radiation hardness are covered. Good spectrum line shapes have been achieved even at ultralow energies. These detectors are intended for X-ray microanalysis in electron microscopes, where they offer the advantages of good high-energy detection efficiency, lower noise, and higher energy resolution compared to the conventional lithium-drifted silicon detector.