Time walk correction of CdTe detectors using depth sensing technique

A digital timing method aiming to minimize the time walk caused by the depth-dependent pulse shape variations in CdTe detectors has been developed. Detector pulses are digitized at the preamplifier stage and a full digital process is carried out to deduce and correct the time walk according to the interaction depth. A time resolution of 6.52 ns FWHM at an energy threshold of 150 keV with a CdTe detector (10×10×1 mm3) is achieved, which is close to the intrinsic resolution of the detector. The method improves the time resolution with no loss of detection efficiency and it is easy to implement. It is confirmed that the slow mobility and the short lifetime of the holes are major obstacles for further improvement in the timing performance of the CdTe detectors. The method is applicable to any semiconductor detector.