Neutralizing the polarization effect of diamond diode detectors using periodic forward bias pulses
A new technique for neutralizing the polarization effect of diamond detectors has been demonstrated. The technique, which relies on the diamond detector to be configured as a diode, is to periodically pulse the diamond diode with forward bias. A 210Po alpha source was used to induce the polarization effect for a thin PIN diamond radiation detector. Results show that for a single forward bias pulse, a forward current of about 60 nA applied for 1 s removes the polarization buildup. The benefits of using this technique add significant value to the diamond diode configuration.
Fig. 6. While irradiated by 210Po, the diamond diode was pulsed periodically with forward bias. The frequency of periodic forward bias pulses was changed and the results are shown. The frequencies used: 1 s out of every 24 s (black, top), 1 s out of every 192 s (red, middle), and 1 s out of every 1800 s (blue, bottom). For a constant reverse bias of 10 V (green), the polarization effect is observed and shown in each plot for comparison.
