Increasing threats of radiological weapons have revitalized the researches for low cost large volume γ-ray and neutron ray sensors In the past few years we have designed and grown ternary and quaternary lead and thallium chalcogenides and lead selenoiodides for detectors to meet these challenges. These materials are congruent, can be tailored to enhance the parameters required for radiation sensors. In addition, this class of compounds can be grown by Bridgman method which promises for large volume productions. We have single crystals of several compounds from the melt including Tl₃AsSe₃, Tl₃AsSe_3-xS_x, TlGaSe₂, AgGaGe₃Se₈, Ag_xLi_1-xAgGaGe₃Se₈ and PbTlI_5-x Se_x compounds. Experimental studies indicate that these have very low absorption coefficient, low defect density and can be fabricated in any shape and sizes. These crystals do not require post growth annealing and do not show any second phase precipitates when processed for electrode bonding and other fabrication steps. In this paper we report purification, growth and fabrication of large Tl₃AsSe₃ (TAS) crystals. We observed that TAS crystals grown by using further purification of as supplied high purity source materials followed by directionally solidified charge showed higher resistivity than previously reported values. TAS also showed constant value as the function of voltage.

Date Published: 12 May 2016
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 9824, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVII, 982411 (12 May 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2220405

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9824:
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVII
Augustus Way Fountain III, Editor(s)