New detectors for γ-ray spectroscopy and imaging, based on scintillators coupled to silicon drift detectors

Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) have been recently employed as detectors of scintillation light for γ-ray spectroscopy and imaging applications. Compared to conventional Photo Multiplier Tubes (PMTs), these devices offer the higher quantum efficiency to the scintillation light, typical of a silicon detector. Moreover, due to the low value of output capacitance, a SDD is characterized by a lower electronics noise with respect to a conventional silicon photodiode. This feature allows a detector based on the CsI(Tl)-SDD architecture to reach high energy and position resolution in gamma detection. In this work we present the results obtained in the development of the first prototypes of gamma detectors for energy measurements (single scintillator-SDD unit) and 1D or 2D position measurements (single scintillator coupled to an array of SDDs).