scope:

GENERAL

The definition of a semiconductor radiation detector herein will be: A semiconductor device that utilizes the production and motion of excess free charge carriers for the detection and measurement of incident radiation.*

Test procedures for the associated amplifiers and preamplifiers are described in "USA Standard and IEEE Test Procedure for Amplifiers and Preamplifiers for Semiconductor Radiation Detectors" (USAS N42.2 and IEEE 301).

The following general precautions and specifications are recommended for all the test procedures described herein. Maximum diode voltage, current, radiation flux ratings, and other specification limits should not be exceeded, or permanent changes of the device characteristics may result. All measurements shall be performed with the device in total darkness. The device ambient temperature and atmosphere shall be specified together with other relevant conditions. The values of the parameters measured should be reproducible, within the precision of the measurements, after the performance of any one or all of the tests performed. The ripple, hum, stability, etc., of the detector bias supply shall not substantially influence the resolution or other detector parameter measurements.

* The properties and performance of these detectors are discussed in detail in [C1], [D1], [G1], [M1], and [T1].