Project Details
Projekt
Investigation of Lead Iodide for X-Ray Detection
Subject Area
Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
Term
from 2008 to 2011
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 60659482
This application in the field of applied materials science continues the successful collaboration between the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague and Institute of Photonics and Electronics (IPE, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic) and the Crystallography, Institute of Geosciences, University of Freiburg, Germany. The major aim of the actual project renewal remains unchanged: the synthesis, refinement, and growth of single crystals of PbI2 and the optimisation of electronic properties in view of X-ray detectors operating at higher temperatures up to 130°C. The modification of electro-optical properties will be studied in dependence of adding dopants like Ag, Au, Ge, Sn, Zn etc., respectively. To find the correlations between growth procedure, type and concentration of admixtures, and the detector relevant physical properties an extensive characterisation is essential with respect to the materials stoichiometry, purity, polytypes, crystal defects, as well as lifetime and mobility of charge carriers. In addition to the Bridgman-Stockbarger method, where the seeding behaviour is difficult, for the first time the Czochralski technique was successfully applied to grow PbI2 from PbI2 seeds. The new and very promising feature is the growth of crystals along a defined direction like [1120], i. e. parallel to the (0001) layers, allowing an improved preparation of crystal slices for characterisation. This approach is supposed to be persued intensely.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
Czech Republic
Participating Persons
Professor Dr. Arne Cröll; Dr. Jaroslav Maixner; Dr. Marie Matuchová
