Experimental characterization of low-energy X-ray semiconductor detectors

Six semiconductor detectors (Si(Li) and HPGe) are calibrated in the 1-10 ke V energy range by means of tunable monochromatized synchrotron radiation. S ignificant improvement in the quality of the response is observed in very r ecent detectors. A peak shape calibration is established using a modified H ypermet-type function to model the detector response for each energy step; a strong enhancement of the peak tail is shown above the binding energy for each detector material. Fano factors for both semiconductor materials are experimentally derived. This characterization will allow the improved proce ssing of low-energy X-ray spectra by providing the intrinsic response of ei ther kind of detector. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.