Edgeless silicon pad detectors

We report measurements in a high-energy pion beam of the sensitivity of the edge region in “edgeless” planar silicon pad diode detectors diced through their contact implants. A large surface current on such an edge prevents the normal reverse biasing of the device, but the current can be sufficiently reduced by the use of a suitable cutting method, followed by edge treatment, and by operating the detector at low temperature. The depth of the dead layer at the diced edge is measured to be (12.5±8stat..±6syst.) μm.