Digital signal processing for CdTe detectors based on a waveform clustering algorithm

A tournament clustering algorithm for treating pulse-height variation of de tector signals related to the waveform change has been introduced. The algo rithm does not need prior modeling of signals. The algorithm was applied to CdTe/CdZnTe detectors of 2 mm thick. Each classified spectrum was summed u p to form a combined pulse-height spectrum using normalization factors obta ined during a test run. The obtained energy resolution for Cs-137 was impro ved to 13.1 keV FWHM. This method can be applied to any type of semiconduct or detectors that exhibits great variation in individual signal waveforms. The classification results contain information on the signal collection pro cess and can improve the effective performance of the detector. (C) 2001 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.