Abstract: It is described an integrated circuit design and a method to fabricate the same for a high-efficiency, low-noise, position sensitive X-ray detection in particular for medical applications. The device (350) is based on deep recesses (354) filled with an X-ray sensitive scintillator material. A shallow first electrode (360) is formed on the surface of the substrate (352) sidewalls separating two neighboring recesses (354). This sidewall electrode (360) in combination with particular frontside wafer electrode (363) structure results in a full depletion of the entire device (350) and a removal of signal charge towards the low capacitance readout electrode (363). The described integrated circuit element (350) ensures high and not depth dependent light collection efficiency.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photo-responsive device having a photo-sensitive layer is proposed. The method comprises the following steps: a) providing a clean substrate inside an evacuated evaporation chamber; b) evaporating lead oxide (PbO) from a first crucible to form a seeding layer on the surface of the substrate; c) affecting upon the seeding layer such that only tetragonal lead oxide forms the seeding layer and/or such that the initially grown orthorhombic lead oxide forming the seeding layer is transformed into tetragonal lead oxide; and d) continuing to evaporate lead oxide until the final thickness of the photo-sensitive layer has been deposited onto the substrate. As a result the method yields a photo-responsive device comprising a photo-sensitive layer of lead oxide, which entirely consists of tetragonal lead oxide.

Abstract: A detector unit (301) for detecting electromagnetic radiation (106), the detector unit (301) comprising a conversion material (332) adapted for converting impinging electromagnetic radiation (106) into electric charge carriers, a charge collection electrode (331) adapted for collecting the converted electric charge carriers, a shielding electrode (334, 335) adapted to form a capacitance with the charge collection electrode (331), and an evaluation circuit (312 to 315) electrically coupled with the charge collection electrode (331) and adapted for evaluating the electromagnetic radiation (106) based on the collected electric charge carriers.

Abstract: The application describes an X-ray detector, which uses direct X-ray conversion (DiCo) combined with CMOS pixel circuits. DiCo materials have to be used with high voltage to achieve a high field strength. This makes the sensor prone to leakage currents, which falsify the measured charge result. Moreover, most direct conversion materials suffer from large residual signals that lead to temporal artifacts (ghost images) in an X-ray image sequence. A circuit is described, which senses the sensor's dark current including residual signals from previous exposures before the sensor is exposed (again) to X-ray, and freezes relevant circuit parameters at the end of the sensing phase in such way, that the dark current (leakage current and residual signal) can still be drained during exposure. Therefore, the charge pulses generated in the sensor due to X-ray exposure can be integrated without charges carried by the leakage current or residual signal, thus obtaining a more accurate estimate of the deposited X-ray energy.

Abstract: Systems and methods for data acquisition in computed tomography (CT) applications are provided. The systems and methods are particularly adapted for scanning and acquiring/processing data in connection with high-power cone-beam CT applications. The electron beam is moved/scanned along the anode surface to multiple focal positions. Data acquisition for a full projection at one focus position and one view angle is achieved by activating each focus position multiple times during the data acquisition for one angle of the gantry. The detector array and associated data processing system are adapted to rapidly switch between the different focus positions during the acquisitions for one view angle and to collect all data belonging to the same projection into the same data set. Adaptive electron optics are utilized to move/scan the electron beam along the anode surface to the various focus positions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector and a method for the production of consecutive X-ray images. This involves the generation in the detector by X-radiation during an exposure interval (Texp) of a current flow (I(t)) which is integrated (Qdk*, Qsig*, Qac*) in a memory capacity and read out in a subsequent readout phase (Trd). In order to minimize the influence of slowly decaying residual currents (Iac), the current (I(t)) is integrated only during the exposure interval (Texp). By this means, disturbing artifacts due to residual signals from earlier photographs are minimized.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector arrangement for the conversion of electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals. The detector arrangement includes sensitive areas (D1, D2, D3, D4), where each sensitive area corresponds to a respective electrical signal, and at least two of the sensitive areas mesh with one another in such a manner that non-overlapping envelopes (C1, C2, C3, C4) of the individual meshing sensitive areas also mesh with one another.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photo-responsive device having a photo-sensitive layer is proposed. The method comprises the following steps: a) providing a clean substrate inside an evacuated evaporation chamber; b) evaporating lead oxide (PbO) from a first crucible to form a seeding layer on the surface of the substrate; c) affecting upon the seeding layer such that only tetragonal lead oxide forms the seeding layer and/or such that the initially grown orthorhombic lead oxide forming the seeding layer is transformed into tetragonal lead oxide; and d) continuing to evaporate lead oxide until the final thickness of the photo-sensitive layer has been deposited onto the substrate. As a result the method yields a photo-responsive device comprising a photo-sensitive layer of lead oxide, which entirely consists of tetragonal lead oxide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector element for x-radiation, which can be used in particular in a flat dynamic x-ray detector (FDXD). In the detector element, a directly converting conversion layer (2) is arranged between an electrode layer (2) and a matrix of pixel electrodes (4), there also being a photoconductive separating layer (3) between the pixel electrodes (4) and the conversion layer (2). In the unilluminated state, the separating layer (3) acts as an electrical barrier for free charge carriers of the conversion layer (2), which have been produced by x-radiation and migrate in the electric field between the electrodes (1, 4). After readout of the charge transfers in the pixel electrodes (4), the separating layer (3) can be rendered conductive by illumination with reset light from a diode arrangement (6), so that charge accumulations at its interface can flow away.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector element for x-radiation, which can be used in particular in a flat dynamic x-ray detector (PDXD). In the detector element, a directly converting conversion layer (2) is arranged between an electrode layer (2) and a matrix of pixel electrodes (4), there also being a photoconductive separating layer (3) between the pixel electrodes (4) and the conversion layer (2). In the unilluminated state, the separating layer (3) acts as an electrical barrier for free charge carriers of the conversion layer (2), which have been produced by x-radiation and migrate in the electric field between the electrodes (1, 4). After readout of the charge transfers in the pixel electrodes (4), the separating layer (3) can be rendered conductive by illumination with reset light from a diode arrangement (6), so that charge accumulations at its interface can flow away.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector and a method for the production of consecutive X-ray images. This involves the generation in the detector by X-radiation during an exposure interval (Texp) of a current flow (I(t)) which is integrated (Qdk*, Qsig*, Qae*) in a memory capacity and read out in a subsequent readout phase (Trd). In order to minimize the influence of slowly decaying residual currents (Iae), the current (I(t)) is integrated only during the exposure interval (Texp). By this means, disturbing artifacts due to residual signals from earlier photographs are minimized.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detector arrangement for the conversion of electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals. The detector arrangement includes sensitive areas (D1, D2, D3, D4), where each sensitive area corresponds to a respective electrical signal, and at least two of the sensitive areas mesh with one another in such a manner that non-overlapping envelopes (C1, C2, C3, C4) of the individual meshing sensitive areas also mesh with one another.

Abstract: The invention relates to an X-ray detector for converting X-rays (27) into electric charges, including a scintillator arrangement (21) and a photosensor arrangement (28) which is situated therebelow; the light that is incident in openings Z between the pixels P is reflected to the photosensor D by means of a reflector arrangement (23) so that it contributes to an increased signal without degrading the spatial resolution of the X-ray detector.

Abstract: ? The invention relates to an X-ray detector for converting X-rays (27) into electric charges, including a scintillator arrangement (21) and a photosensor arrangement (28) which is situated therebelow; the light that is incident in openings Z between the pixels P is reflected to the photosensor D by means of a reflector arrangement (23) so that it contributes to an increased signal without degrading the spatial resolution of the X-ray detector.