Characterization of area sensitivity in 55 um pixellated CdTe X-ray imaging detectors

X-ray imaging detectors with energy resolution, based on a single photon processing CMOS readout circuit attached to a detector chip, are being developed by different groups. In order to achieve high quantum efficiency it is preferable to use high-Z semiconductor materials. However the fluorescent X-ray photons of such materials have high energies and are able to travel long distances thereby reducing both the spatial resolution and the energy resolution of the detector. In addition charge sharing in the detector and non-uniformities in both the detector and the readout electronics will affect the signal. In this work we have characterized a 1 mm thick CdTe detector with a pixel size of 55 um x 55 um, bump bonded to the MEDIPIX2 single photon processing readout chip [1]. The area sensitivity of the detector is evaluated using a narrow X-ray beam of monoenergetic photons. From these measurements the effects of fluorescence and charge sharing can be evaluated.