Measurements with Si and GaAs pixel detectors bonded to photon counting readout chips

Detectors fabricated with SI-GaAs and Si bulk material were bonded to Photon Counting Chips (PCC), developed in the framework of the MEDIPIX Collaboration. The PCC consists of a matrix of 64 x 64 identical square pixels (170 mum x 170 mum) with a 15-bit counter in each cell. We investigated the imaging properties of these detector systems under exposure of a dental X-ray tube at room temperature. The image homogeneity and the mean count rate were determined via hood exposure images and compared. Exposures for GaAs detectors exhibit a 3 times larger spread in count rate per image in comparison to Si detectors. This also results in a 3 times worse signal to noise ratio. IV-characteristics and X-ray images at different values of the detectors bias voltage were also taken and show a 30 times higher leakage current for GaAs, The Si detector is fully active beginning from 70 V, whereas the GaAs detector does not reach full charge collection. The presampling modulation transfer function of both assembly types was measured via slit images and gives a spatial resolution of 4.3 lp/mm for both detector systems. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B,V. All rights reserved.