A Low Power, Silicon Detector Gamma-Ray Probe Unit for Radiation Meters

The paper describes a Low power, silicon detector gamma-ray probe unit made up of three hybrid circuits : a charge-voltage converter (charge sensitive preamplifier), a shaping amplifier and a discriminator. The detector is located on the same substrate as the charge-voltage converter. The complete unit has a typical sensitivity of 100 c.s-1/cGy.h-1 for cesium 137. The response shift over a range of gamma or X photon energies is less than 30 % from 55 keV to 1 MeV. The response deviation as a function of the temperature is less than 7 % from -25 °C to + 50 °C. Power dissipation is 12 mW. The paper supports the conclusion that such a unit is well suitable to make miniaturized radiation meters.