An all-diamond X-ray position and flux monitor using nitrogen-incorporated ultra-nanocrystalline diamond contacts.

Diamond X-ray detectors with conducting nitrogen-incorporated ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (N-UNCD) films as electrodes were fabricated to measure X-ray beam flux and position. Structural characterization and functionality tests were performed for these devices. The N-UNCD films grown on unseeded diamond substrates were compared with N-UNCD films grown on a seeded silicon substrate. The feasibility of the N-UNCD films acting as electrodes for X-ray detectors was confirmed by the stable performance in a monochromatic X-ray beam. The fabrication process is able to change the surface status which may influence the signal uniformity under low bias, but this effect can be neglected under full collection bias.

Proton radiation effects on carrier transport in diamond radiation detectors.

Diamond, a highly radiation-resistant material, is considered a nearly ideal material for radiation detection, particularly in high-energy physics. In this study, radiation damage from high-energy proton beams was induced in diamond crystals to determine exposure lifetime in detectors made from this material; the effects were investigated using non-destructive x-ray techniques and through the FLUKA simulation package. Two diamond detectors were irradiated by an 800 MeV proton beam at different fluence rates, and the real-time current response was recorded to observe degradation in the signal over time. It was determined that the proton fluence rate had a significant effect on the device degradation. The detector performance from the irradiated detectors was characterized using x-ray beam-induced current measurements, and the mechanism of proton radiation damage to diamond sensors, especially the radiation effects on carrier transport, was studied. The vacancies generated from proton irradiation were considered the major source of detector degradation by trapping holes and inducing an internal electric field. Simulation results from the FLUKA package revealed an uneven distribution of the radiation-induced vacancies along the beam path, and the corresponding detector signals calculated from the simulation results displayed a good match to the experimental results.