INFLUENCE OF WATER AND WATER-VAPOR ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF KI TREATED HGI2 DETECTORS

After being cleaned using a potassium iodide solution in water followe d by a water rinse, the surface of mercuric iodide is covered by a che mical complex identified as being KHgI3.H2O. This compound can adsorb large quantities of water and its electrical properties are strongly s ensitive to water and water vapour. The consequences on the manufactur ing and storing conditions (especially the relative humidity), of merc uric iodide-based devices are therefore of great concern. They are ill ustrated by the study of the electrical and spectrometric properties o f HgI3 nuclear radiation detectors. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.