The X-ray detection performance of polycrystalline CVD diamond with pulsed laser deposited carbon electrodes

The deposition of amorphous carbon electrical contacts on a diamond radiation detector by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) is introduced as a novel technique for producing tissue equivalent X-ray dosimeters. Three devices were fabricated with the following electrical contacts: pure amorphous carbon (labelled Poly-C), amorphous carbon mixed with Nickel (PLD) (labelled Poly-C/Ni) and conventional sputtered Pt (labelled Poly-Pt). To examine the performance of PLD carbon as a contact, a set of X-ray detection characteristics was studied and compared to those of Poly-Pt. This investigation includes current-voltage characteristics, linearity and dose rate dependence, sensitivity and specific sensitivity, photoconductive gain, stability, reproducibility and time response (rise and fall-off times). The experimental results suggest that Poly-C/Ni is suitable for an X-ray dosimeter. It shows a high signal to noise ratio (SNR) of ~ 3300, approximately linear relationship between the photocurrent and the dose rate and a sensitivity of 65 nC/Gy. In addition the current signal is stable and reproducible (within 0.26%) and the rise and fall-off times are less than 1.1 and 0.4 s, respectively.