Equivalent Noise Charge Measurements in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Radiation Detectors

The input equivalent noise charge (ENC) of hydrogenated amorphous silicon radiation detector diodes was measured and analyzed. The noise sources of amorphous silicon diodes were analyzed into three sources; shot noise, flicker noise and thermal noise from the contact resistance. By comparing the measured ENC with the calculated signal charge in uniform generation case, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for the sample diodes is estimated as a function of the detector bias and the shaping time of Gaussian pulse shaper. The maximum S/N occurred at the bias level just above the full depletion voltage for shaping time of 2∼3 ${\mu}$sec. The developed method is useful in optimum design or amorphous silicon p-i-n diodes for charged particulate radiation spectroscopy.