Electrical-modelling, design and simulation of cumulative radiation effects in semiconductor pixels detectors: prospects and limits

Abstract

Silicon detectors have gained in popularity since silicon became a widely used micro/nanoelectronic semiconductor material. Silicon detectors are used in particle physics as well as imaging for pixel based detecting systems. Over the past twenty years a lot of experimental efforts have been focused on the effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation on silicon pixels. Some of this research was done in the framework of high luminosity particle physics experiments, along with radiation hardness studies of basic semiconductors devices. In its simplest form the semiconductor pixel detectors reduce to a PIN or PN structure partially or totally depleted, or in some MOS and APD (Avalanche PhotoDiode) structures. Bulk or surface defects affect considerably transport of free carriers. We propose guidelines for pixel design, which will be tested through a few pixel structures. This design method includes into the design the properties of defects. The electrical properties reduce to parameters, which can be introduced in a standard simulation code to make predictive simulations. We include an analytical model for defect annealing derived from isochronal annealing experiments. The proposed method can be used to study pixels detectors with different geometrical structures and made with different semiconducting materials. Its purpose is to provide an alternative to tedious and extensive radiation tests on final fabricated detectors. This is necessary for the long-term reliability of detectors together with their radiation tolerance. A general method for pixel design is introduced and we will show how it can be used for the design of alternate to silicon (germanium) pixels.