Characterisation and application of photon counting X-ray detector systems

Sammanfattning: This thesis concerns the development and characterisation of X-ray imaging systems based on single photon processing. “Colour” X-ray imaging opens up new perspectives within the fields of medical X-ray diagnosis and also in industrial X-ray quality control. The difference in absorption for different “colours” can be used to discern materials in the object. For instance, this information might be used to identify diseases such as brittle-bone disease. The “colour” of the X-rays can be identified if the detector system can process each X-ray photon individually. Such a detector system is called a “single photon processing” system or, less precise, a “photon counting system”.With modern technology it is possible to construct photon counting detector systems that can resolve details to a level of approximately 50 µm. However with such small pixels a problem will occur. In a semiconductor detector each absorbed X-ray photon creates a cloud of charge which contributes to the image. For high photon energies the size of the charge cloud is comparable to 50 µm and might be distributed between several pixels in the image. Charge sharing is a key problem since, not only is the resolution degenerated, but it also destroys the “colour” information in the image.This thesis presents characterisation and simulations to provide a detailed understanding of the physical processes concerning charge sharing in detectors from the MEDIPIX collaboration. Charge summing schemes utilising pixel to pixel communications are proposed. Charge sharing can also be suppressed by introducing 3D-detector structures. In the next generation of the MEDIPIX system, Medipix3, charge summing will be implemented. This system, equipped with a 3D-silicon detector, or a thin planar high-Z detector of good quality, has the potential to become a commercial product for medical imaging. This would be beneficial to the public health within the entire European Union.