Hybrid detector technology applied to digital mammography

Hybrid detector technology based on indium metal bump-bonding techniques is under consideration for x-ray detection at x-ray energies of about 19.5 keV. Silicon of about 1 mm thickness forms the actual detector, converting x-rays directly into electrons (rather than generating light and converting light to photo-electrons). Time-delay-integration increases the sensitivity. Initial results demonstrate that a system based on this technology is useful as scanning x-ray detector for digital mammography and can meet and even exceed the performance of the conventional film/screen system.