SUPPRESSION OF IRRADIATION EFFECTS IN GOLD-DOPED SILICON DETECTORS

Two sets of silicon detectors were irradiated with 1 MeV neutrons to d ifferent fluences and then characterized. The first batch were ordinar y p-i-n photodiodes fabricated from high-resistivity (400 Omega cm) si licon, while the second batch were gold-doped power diodes fabricated from silicon material initially of low resistivity (20 Omega cm). The increase in reverse leakage current after irradiation was found to be more in the former case than in the latter. The fluence dependence of the capacitance was much more pronounced in the p-i-n diodes than in t he gold-doped diodes. Furthermore, photo current generation by optical means was less in the gold doped devices. All these results suggest t hat gold doping in silicon somewhat suppresses the effects of neutron irradiation.