Dosimetric properties of high energy current (HEC) detector in keV x-ray beams

Phys Med Biol. 2015 Apr 7;60(7):N121-9. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/60/7/N121. Epub 2015 Mar 19.

Abstract

We introduce a new x-ray radiation detector. The detector employs high-energy current (HEC) formed by secondary electrons consisting predominantly of photoelectrons and Auger electrons, to directly convert x-ray energy to detector signal without externally applied power and without amplification. The HEC detector is a multilayer structure composed of thin conducting layers separated by dielectric layers with an overall thickness of less than a millimeter. It can be cut to any size and shape, formed into curvilinear surfaces, and thus can be designed for a variety of QA applications. We present basic dosimetric properties of the detector as function of x-ray energy, depth in the medium, area and aspect ratio of the detector, as well as other parameters. The prototype detectors show similar dosimetric properties to those of a thimble ionization chamber, which operates at high voltage. The initial results obtained for kilovoltage x-rays merit further research and development towards specific medical applications.

MeSH terms

  • Electrons*
  • Radiometry / instrumentation*
  • Radiometry / methods
  • X-Rays