Charge collection characteristics of Frisch collar CdZnTe gamma-ray spectrometers

A collimated 198Au source was used to determine the charge collection efficiency (CCE) at several locations along the length of a 3.4×3.4×5.5 mm3 CdZnTe bar detector, both in planar configuration and with Frisch collars of varying length. For each configuration, a 0.50-mm-long region spanning the width of the device was irradiated with 411-keV gamma rays produced by a neutron-activated gold foil. Irradiation began at the cathode and stepped in 0.50-mm steps toward the anode, with a spectrum being collected at each location. By observing the channel location of the full-energy peak in each collected spectrum, an average CCE was determined for each irradiated region. The CCE was found to vary nearly linearly along the length of the device in the planar configuration, starting at a peak value of 89% and dropping to a minimum measured value of 26% near the anode. The addition of a Frisch collar covering the entire length of the crystal greatly altered the CCE profile, which remained near 87% for approximately two-thirds of the length, then sharply dropped near the anode. Results were confirmed by theoretical models. Further CCE mapping was also completed for devices with Frisch collars of various lengths. Those results are reported as well.