Crystalline texture and mammography energy range detection studies of pyrolysed lead iodide films: Effects of solution concentration

• PbI2 films were grown by spray pyrolysis deposition method.
• Variations in microstructure were studied using crystal texture calculations.
• The films were tested in the mammography X-ray energy range.
• The response is very linear with a slope of 13 μA/cm2 R.

Semiconductor lead iodide (PbI2) films have been extensively studied due to their potential applications in room temperature ionizing radiation detectors. The influence of PbI2 solution concentration on the final properties of the films grown by spray pyrolysis was investigated. The solution concentration was varied in the range of 10 g/l up to 50 g/l. Total deposition time of 2.5 h was used and average growth rate varying from 22 Å s−1 up to 62 Å s−1 was obtained as a function of solution concentration. X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the structural properties of the films. Variations in microstructure as a function of solution concentration were studied using crystal texture calculations. The smallest value of electrical resistivity was obtained for the largest solution concentration. Mammographic X-ray irradiation from 10 mR up to 1450 mR was carried out with equivalent photon energy at 14 keV and the sensor results are discussed.