Radiation detecting element

• US 5,079,425 A
• Filed: 01/09/1991
• Issued: 01/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Imai, Takahiro, Fujimori, Naoji, Yashiki, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIG, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US07/639,085
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.01, 250/370.12, 357/29, 437/3, 437/4
• US Class Current: 250/370.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/26 with resistance detectors photoresistors H01L31/00

Abstract

A radiation detecting element comprising a pair of electrode and a semiconductor layer interposed between said pair of electrodes wherein said semiconductor layer comprises a polycrystal diamond having no grain boundary in a direction in which a voltage is applied, and an electric current flows through said semiconductor layer from one electrode to the other without crossing a grain boundary, which element has high sensitivity and a high response speed.

Claims

1. A radiation detecting element comprising a pair of electrode and a semiconductor layer interposed between said pair of electrodes wherein said semiconductor layer comprises a polycrystal diamond having no grain boundary in a direction in which a voltage is applied, and an electric current flows through said semiconductor layer from one electrode to the other without crossing a grain boundary.

2. The radiation detecting element according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer comprising the polycrystal diamond has a thickness of at least 10 μ

m.

3. The radiation detecting element according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer comprising the polycrystal diamond has a thickness of from 200 to 300 μ

m.

4. The radiation detecting element according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer comprising the polycrystal diamond has a surface smoothness of not larger than 0.2 μ

m.

5. The radiation detecting element according to claim 1, which further comprises a conductive diamond layer on at least one surface of said semiconductor layer, and wherein said electrode is formed on said conductive diamond layer.

6. A method for producing a radiation detecting element including a pair of electrodes and a semiconductor diamond layer interposed between said pair of electrodes, the method comprising the steps of:

growing said semiconductor diamond layer on a substrate, removing said substrate, and forming said electrodes.

7. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises polishing at least one surface of said semiconductor diamond layer by at least 5 μ

m.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein a conductive diamond layer is formed on said semiconductor diamond layer by growing said conductive diamond layer by vapor phase deposition from a raw material gas containing at least carbon and boron.