Abstract: The invention relates to semiconductor substrates and methods for producing such semiconductor substrates. In this connection, it is the object of the invention to provide semiconductor substrates which can be produced more cost-effectively and with which a high arrangement density as well as good electrical conductivity and closed surfaces can be achieved. In accordance with the invention, an electrically conductive connection is guided from its front side through the substrate up to the rear side. The electrically conductive connection is completely surrounded from the outside. The insulator is formed by an opening which is filled with material. The inner wall is provided with a dielectric coating and/or filled with an electrically insulating or conductive material. The electrically conductive connection is formed with a further opening which is filled with an electrically conductive material and is arranged in the interior of the insulator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for generating countable pulses (30) from impinging X-ray (12, 14) in an imaging device (16), in particular in a computer tomograph, the apparatus (10) comprising a pre-amplifying element (18) adapted to convert a charge pulse (20) generated by an impinging photon (12, 14) into an electrical signal (22) and a shaping element (26) having a feedback loop (28) and adapted to convert the electrical signal (22) into an electrical pulse (30), wherein a delay circuit (38) is connected to the feedback loop (28) such that a time during which the feedback loop (28) collects charges of the electrical signal (22) is extended in order to improve an amplitude of the electrical pulse (30) at an output (56) of the shaping element (26). The invention also relates to a corresponding imaging device (16) and a corresponding method.

Abstract: A radiation detector assembly (20) includes a detector array module (40) configured to convert radiation particles to electrical detection pulses, and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (42) operatively connected with the detector array. The ASIC includes signal processing circuitry (60) configured to digitize an electrical detection pulse received from the detector array, and test circuitry (80) configured to inject a test electrical pulse into the signal processing circuitry. The test circuitry includes a current meter (84) configured to measure the test electrical pulse injected into the signal processing circuitry, and a charge pulse generator (82) configured to generate a test electrical pulse that is injected into the signal processing circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for counting X-ray photons (12, 14). The apparatus (10) comprises a sensor (16) adapted to convert a photon (12, 14) into a charge pulse, a processing element (18) adapted to convert the charge pulse (51) into an electrical pulse (53) and a first discriminator (20) adapted to compare the electrical pulse (53) against a first threshold (TH1) and to output an event (55) if the first threshold (TH1) is exceeded. A first counter (22) counts these events (55), unless counting is inhibited by a first gating element (24). The first gating element (24) is activated when the first discriminator (20) outputs the event (55), and it is deactivated, when the processing of a photon (12, 14) is found to be complete or about to be completed by a measurement or by the knowledge about the time that it takes to process a photon (12, 14) in the processing element (18). By activating and deactivating the first counter (22) pile-up events, i.e.

Abstract: The present invention relates to processing electronics (18) for a detector (12) of an X-ray imaging device (14), the processing electronics (18) with a pulse counter section (22) having at least one count output (30) and with an integrator section (24) having an intensity output (32), wherein the processing electronics (18) is adapted to be connected to a sensor (16) in such a manner that X-ray photons (58) arriving at the sensor (16) can be processed by the pulse counter section (22), by the integrator section (24), or both, and wherein the processing electronics (18) comprises a processor (34) adapted to be connected to the count output (30) and to the intensity output (32) and adapted to output a count result (K) that takes into account both count information (N) obtained at the count output (30) and intensity information (I) obtained at the intensity output (32), so that the count result (K) contains information (N) obtained from the pulse counter section (22) and information (M) obtained from the integr

Abstract: An imaging system includes a scintillator array (202) and a digital photomultiplier array (204). A photon counting channel (212), an integrating channel (210), and a moment generating channel (214) process the output signal of the digital photomultiplier array (204). A reconstructor (122) spectrally resolves the first, the second and the third output signals. In one embodiment, a controller (232) activates the photon counting channel (212) to process the digital signal only if a radiation flux is below a predetermined threshold. An imaging system includes at least one direct conversion layer (302) and at least two scintillator layers (304) and corresponding photosensors (306). A photon counting channel (212) processes an output of the at least one direct conversion layer (302), and an integrating channel (210) and a moment generating channel (214) process respective outputs of the photosensors (306). A reconstructor (122) spectrally resolves the first, the second and the third output signals.

Abstract: Through-Wafer Interconnections allow for the usage of cost-effective substrates for detector chips. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, detecting element for application in an examination apparatus may be provided, comprising a wafer with a sensitive region and a coaxial through-wafer interconnect structure. This may reduce the susceptibility of the interconnection by providing an effective shielding.

Abstract: The invention relates to converter element (100) for a radiation detector, particularly for a Spectral CT scanner. The converter element (100) comprises at least two conversion cells (131) that are at least partially separated from each other by intermediate separation walls (135) which affect the spreading of electrical signals generated by incident radiation (X). The conversion cells (131) may particularly consist of a crystal of CdTe and/or CdZnTe. Said crystal is preferably grown by e.g. vapor deposition between preformed separation walls.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (100) comprising a converter element (113) with an array (120) of first electrodes (121) for sampling electrical signals generated by incident radiation (X). With a connection circuit (130), at least two first electrodes (121) can selectively be coupled to a common readout unit (141) according to a given connection pattern (CP1). The effective pixel size along the path of incident radiation (X) can thus be adapted to the distribution of electrical signals, which is usually determined by the spectral composition of the incident radiation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector and a method for its production, wherein a series of converter plates (110) and interconnect layers (120), which extend into a border volume (BV) lateral of the converter plates (110), are stacked. By filling voids in the border volume (BV) with an underfill material and cutting through the border volume, a contact surface (CS) is generated in which electrical leads (123) of the interconnect layers (120) lie free. To allow a good contacting, said leads (123) are preferably provided with enlargements in the contact surface, for example by bonding wires (132) to them.

Abstract: The present invention provides a radiation sensor featuring a plurality of individual sensor elements, e.g. pixels, each of which having a radiation detection portion that is adapted to generate an electric current in response to impingement of electromagnetic radiation and a current amplifier for amplifying the photoelectric current generated by the radiation detection portion. Current amplification is therefore performed locally within each pixel of the radiation sensor itself. This local current amplification effectively allows to increase sensitivity and response of the radiation sensor and therefore enables implementation of the radiation sensor on the basis of CMOS technology.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (100) that is particularly suited for energy resolved single X-ray photon detection in a CT scanner. In a preferred embodiment, the detector (100) comprises an array of scintillator elements (S k) in which incident X-ray photons (X) are converted into bursts of optical photons (hn). Pixels (P k) associated to the scintillator elements (S k) determine the numbers of optical photons they receive within predetermined acquisition intervals. These numbers can then be digitally processed to detect single X-ray photons (X) and to determine their energy. The pixels may particularly be realized by avalanche photodiodes with associated digital electronic circuits for data processing.

Abstract: The invention relates to semiconductor substrates and methods for producing such semiconductor substrates. In this connection, it is the object of the invention to provide semiconductor substrates which can be produced more cost-effectively and with which a high arrangement density as well as good electrical conductivity and closed surfaces can be achieved. In accordance with the invention, an electrically conductive connection is guided from its front side through the substrate up to the rear side. The electrically conductive connection is completely surrounded from the outside. The insulator is formed by an opening which is filled with material. The inner wall is provided with a dielectric coating and/or filled with an electrically insulating or conductive material. The electrically conductive connection is formed with a further opening which is filled with an electrically conductive material and is arranged in the interior of the insulator.

Abstract: Recently, the use of class D audio amplifiers has become more and more widespread. In contrast to the generally employed class A-B linear amplification technology, class D allows for improved efficiency. However, the class D principle is known for its poor distortion characteristics. According to the present invention, a digital amplifier is provided for converting an input signal to a power output. The digital amplifier according to the present invention comprises a supply ripple pre-compensation circuit for compensating voltage ripples on a supply voltage supplied to bridge circuits of the digital amplifier on the basis of the input signal. By this, supply ripples in the supply voltage supplied to the bridge which have been found to cause a major part of the distortions in the output signal of the digital amplifier may be compensated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (100), particularly for X-rays (X) and for y-rays, which comprises a combination of (a) at least one primary conversion layer (101a-101f) with a low attenuation coefficient for the photons and (b) at least one secondary conversion layer (102) with a high attenuation coefficient for the photons. In preferred embodiments, the primary conversion layer (101a-101f) may be realized by a silicon layer coupled to associated energy-resolving counting electronics (111a-111f, 121). The secondary conversion layer (102) may be realized for example by CZT or GOS coupled to energy-resolving counting electronics or integrating electronics. Using primary conversion layers with low stopping power allows to build a stacked radiation detector (100) for spectral CT in which the counting rates of the layers are limited to feasible values without requiring unrealistic thin layers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector and a method for producing such a detector, wherein the detector comprises a stack of the scintillator elements and photodiode arrays. The PDAs extend with electrical leads into a rigid body filling a border volume lateral of the scintillator elements, wherein said leads end in a contact surface of the border volume. Moreover, a redistribution layer is disposed on the contact surface, wherein electrical lines of the redistribution layer contact the leads of the PDAs.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a scale factor determiner (236) that determines a count scale factor based on a measured count of a number detected photons for an energy threshold and an estimated actual count of the number of detected photons. The photons include poly-energetic photons detected by a radiation sensitive detector. The apparatus further includes a count sealer (136) that employs the count scale factor to scale measured counts of detected photons for different energy thresholds.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an integrator (120) that produces a pulse having a peak amplitude indicative of the energy of a detected photon. First discharging circuitry (136) discharges the integrator (120) at a first discharging speed, and second discharging circuitry (124) discharges the integrator (120) at a second discharging speed. The first discharging speed is less than the second discharging speed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (200), particularly an X-ray detector, which comprises at least one sensitive layer (212) for the conversion of incident photons (X) into electrical signals. A two-dimensional array of electrodes (213) is located on the front side of the sensitive layer (212), while its back side carries a counter-electrode (211). The size of the electrodes (213) may vary in radiation direction (y) for adapting the counting workload of the electrodes. Moreover, the position of the electrodes (213) with respect to the radiation direction (y) provides information about the energy of the detected photons (X).

Abstract: Through-Wafer Interconnections allow for the usage of cost-effective substrates for detector chips. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, detecting element for application in an examination apparatus may be provided, comprising a wafer with a sensitive region and a coaxial through-wafer interconnect structure. This may reduce the susceptibility of the interconnection by providing an effective shielding.