Experimental study of the response of semiconductor detectors to low-energy photons

Six semiconductor detectors (Si(Li) and HPGe) are calibrated in the 1–10 keV energy range by means of tuneable monochromatised synchrotron radiation. Significant improvement in the quality of the response is observed in very recent detectors. A peak shape calibration is established using a modified Hypermet-type function to model the detector response for each energy step; electron effects induce individual background and tail shapes for each detector material. Fano factors for both semiconductor materials are experimentally derived. The efficiency calibration is determined using a proportional counter as reference: the front semiconductor layer acts as a partially active zone.