Radiation detector and fabrication process
A monolithic integrated radiation detector includes a photodetector and a scintillator deposited directly on the photodetector. Preferably the photodetector is silicon and the scintillator is a rare earth phosphor. The rare earth phosphor is crystal lattice matched to the silicon by a transitional layer epitaxially grown therebetween.
1. A monolithic integrated radiation detector comprising:
a substrate of single crystal semiconductor material;
a photodetector.of a single crystal material formed on and crystal lattice matched to the substrate; and
a scintillator of single crystal material formed on and crystal lattice matched to the photodetector.
2. A monolithic integrated radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the photodetector includes one of a solar cell, a pin photodiode, an avalanche photodiode, or a charge coupled device.
3. A monolithic integrated radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the photodetector is a silicon photodetector.
4. A monolithic integrated radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scintillator includes a single crystal rare earth phosphor.
5. A monolithic integrated radiation detector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the photodetector and scintillator of the radiation detector are tailored to be more sensitive to one of neutrons or X-rays/gamma rays.
6. A monolithic integrated radiation detector comprising:
a substrate of single crystal semiconductor material;
a silicon photodetector of single crystal material formed on and crystal lattice matched to the substrate, the silicon photodetector including one of a solar cell, a pin photodiode, an avalanche photodiode, or a charge coupled device, the silicon photodetector including a radiation input surface; and
a transition layer including single crystal silicon and single crystal rare earth oxide formed on and crystal lattice matched to the radiation input surface of the silicon photodetector;
a scintillator including a single crystal rare earth phosphor; and
the scintillator formed on and crystal lattice matched to the radiation input surface of the photodetector .
7. A monolithic integrated radiation detector as claimed in claim 6 wherein the photodetector and scintillator of the radiation detector are tailored to be more sensitive to one of neutrons or X-rays/gamma rays.