Radiation Effects in CdZnTe Gamma-Ray Detectors Produced by 199 MeV Protons

Many future space missions will use cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) gamma-ray detectors because their operation at room temperature makes compact, lightweight detector systems possible. Even though instruments for space using CdZnTe detectors have already been built, the effect of the high- energy particle space environment on these detectors has not been measured. To determine the effect of energetic charged particles on these detectors, we have bombarded several CdZnTe detectors with 199 MeV protons at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility. Planar detectors of area 1 cm^2 and thickness 2-3 mm from both eV products and Digirad were irradiated, along with a 2 multiplied by 2 array of proprietary design from Digirad. Using standard gamma-ray sources, the response of the detectors was measured before and after bombardment in steps up to fluences of 5 multiplied by 10^9 p cm^(-2). Significant effects from the proton irradiation were observed in the gamma-ray spectra. In particular, the peak positions of the lines in the spectrum were shifted downward proportional to the fluence. The explanation is almost certainly the production of electron traps by the high energy proton interactions, resulting in a decrease of the mobility-lifetime (µτ) ) product of the electrons. Calculations were made to model the effect of a decrease in electron trapping length on the spectrum.