Abstract: With radiation detectors in which the energy of radiation is absorbed in a semiconductor or insulator radiation absorber, where that energy is converted to phonons, and the radiation is measured by measuring those phonons with a phonon sensor provided on the surface of the radiation absorber, part of the energy of the radiation is expended in generating electron-hole pairs, and that portion of the energy does not contribute to the signal from the phonon sensor, resulting in low sensitivity and poor energy resolution. A radiation absorber, in which a high concentration of recombination centers is introduced so that electrons and holes excited by radiation recombine in a short time equal to or shorter than a signal extraction time, is used for the radiation detector. Therefore, the energy given to electron-hole pairs is also converted to phonons, thus improving the sensitivity and energy resolution of the radiation detector.

Abstract: With radiation detectors in which the energy of radiation is absorbed in a semiconductor or insulator radiation absorber, where that energy is converted to phonons, and the radiation is measured by measuring those phonons with a phonon sensor provided on the surface of the radiation absorber, part of the energy of the radiation is expended in generating electron-hole pairs, and that portion of the energy does not contribute to the signal from the phonon sensor, resulting in low sensitivity and poor energy resolution. A radiation absorber, in which a high concentration of recombination centers is introduced so that electrons and holes excited by radiation recombine in a short time equal to or shorter than a signal extraction time, is used for the radiation detector. Therefore, the energy given to electron-hole pairs is also converted to phonons, thus improving the sensitivity and energy resolution of the radiation detector.

Abstract: In a radiation detection device using superconducting tunnel junctions, the increase in electric capacitance and the decrease in electric resistance due to the increase in junction area for improvement of the detection efficiency are largely repressed by the invention. The junctions are connected in series. The number of the series-connected junctions is settled in the range of larger than 0.05 (SC.sub.o /C')0.5 and smaller than 20 (SC.sub.o /C')0.5 or 10SCo/C', whichever is larger, where S is the total area of the junctions, cm.sup.2, C.sub.o is the electric capacitance per unit area of the junctions, F/cm.sup.2, and C' is the electric capacitance connected to the device in parallel so as to transfer and amplify the signals from the device, F.

Abstract: A radiation detecting device including a superconducting tunnel junction having a three-layer structure formed by depositing a lower electrode, a tunnel barrier layer, and an upper electrode in sequence. The upper electrode, the tunnel barrier layer and lower electrode have substantially aligned side walls around substantially their entire perimeters such that a cross-section of the three-layer structure along a path perpendicular to a direction of the deposition is substantially constant in shape and size along the direction of the deposition and such that no portion of the lower electrode or the upper electrode extends beyond the tunnel barrier layer. At least one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode is made of superconducting material.

Abstract: A superconducting tunnel junction radiation sensing device includes first and second superconductor electrodes and a tunnel barrier layer interposed therebetween. The tunnel barrier layer is made up of a thin-wall portion and a thick-wall portion each formed of a semiconductor or an insulator, and each having opposite surfaces respectively contacting the first and second superconductor electrodes, and each extending adjacent each other in a same horizontal plane between the first and second electrodes. The thick-wall portion has a vertical thickness which is at least twice that of the thin-wall portion. Furthermore, the thickness of the thin-wall portion is such that a tunnel effect is enabled therethrough form the first electrode to the second electrode, and the thickness of the thick-wall portion is such that a tunnel effect is substantially prohibited therethrough from the first electrode to the second electrode.