Improved thermoelectrically cooled X/γ-ray detectors and electronics

An improved compact, high-resolution spectroscopy system has been developed in which Si-PIN or Cd1-xZnxTe radiation detectors and certain preamplifier components are mounted on a thermoelectric cooler. This system combines very high-energy resolution with the convenience of room temperature operation, since the cooling is transparent to the user. Several recent developments have considerably improved performance, resulting in dramatic improvements in both the energy resolution and sensitivity of this commercially available system. In addition, a complete portable spectroscopy system and a very low-noise, general-purpose laboratory preamplifier are now available. These improvements, the measured performance, and field applications of these systems will be discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.