CVD diamonds as active and passive detectors of ionising radiation. Assessment of their applicability for medical dosimetry

Several batches of CVD diamonds obtained commercially from De Beers Company and produced at the Institute of Materials Research at Limburg University (Belgium) have been used in our study. CVD diamonds were investigated with respect to their TL properties Irradiated CVD diamonds feature glow curves in which a dominant peak with a maximum at about 240/spl deg/C can be used for dosimetry, with sensitivity (TL output per Gy) comparable to that of commercial LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100, MTS-N) CVD diamonds produced at Limburg University were investigated with respect to their electrical parameters. A special contact preparation technique was developed. Gold contacts were placed on opposite sides of the crystals. The crystals were encapsulated in a special holder. Current and charge were measured by a UNIDOS (PTW Freiburg) electrometer. The bias current of 0.8 mm thick crystals was less than 1 pA.