Photoconductivity in Tl6SI4: A novel semiconductor for hard radiation detection

Sandy L. Nguyen; Christos D. Malliakas; John A. Peters; Zhifu Liu; Jino Im; Li Dong Zhao; Maria Sebastian; Hosub Jin; Hao Li; Simon Johnsen; Bruce W. Wessels; Arthur J. Freeman; Mercouri G. Kanatzidis

doi:10.1021/cm401406j

Photoconductivity in Tl₆SI₄: A novel semiconductor for hard radiation detection

Sandy L. Nguyen, Christos D. Malliakas, John A. Peters, Zhifu Liu, Jino Im, Li Dong Zhao, Maria Sebastian, Hosub Jin, Hao Li, Simon Johnsen, Bruce W. Wessels, Arthur J. Freeman, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

The chemical concept of lattice hybridization was applied to identify new chalcohalide compounds as candidates for X-ray and γ-ray detection. Per this approach, compound semiconductor materials with high density and wide band gaps can be produced that can absorb and detect hard radiation. Here, we show that the mixed chalcogenide-halide compound Tl₆SI₄ is a congruently melting, mechanically robust chalcohalide material with strong photoconductivity response and an impressive room-temperature figure of merit. Tl₆SI₄ crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/mnc space group, with a = 9.1758(13) Å, c = 9.5879(19) Å, V = 807.3(2) Å³, and a calculated density of 7.265 g·cm^-3. The new material requires a more simplified crystal growth compared to the leading system Cd_0.9Zn_0.1Te, which is the benchmark room-temperature hard radiation detector material. We successfully synthesized Tl₆SI₄ crystals to produce detector-grade wafers with high resistivity values (∼10¹⁰ Ω·cm) and high-resolution detection of X-ray spectra from an Ag (22 keV) source.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2868-2877
Number of pages	10
Journal	Chemistry of Materials
Volume	25
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/cm401406j
State	Published - Jul 23 2013

Keywords

chalcogenide
crystal growth
radiation detection
wide-gap semiconductors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemistry(all)
Chemical Engineering(all)
Materials Chemistry

Access to Document

10.1021/cm401406j

Cite this

@article{717273d7ebb4424e850d39e6d598418c,

title = "Photoconductivity in Tl6SI4: A novel semiconductor for hard radiation detection",

abstract = "The chemical concept of lattice hybridization was applied to identify new chalcohalide compounds as candidates for X-ray and γ-ray detection. Per this approach, compound semiconductor materials with high density and wide band gaps can be produced that can absorb and detect hard radiation. Here, we show that the mixed chalcogenide-halide compound Tl6SI4 is a congruently melting, mechanically robust chalcohalide material with strong photoconductivity response and an impressive room-temperature figure of merit. Tl6SI4 crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/mnc space group, with a = 9.1758(13) {\AA}, c = 9.5879(19) {\AA}, V = 807.3(2) {\AA}3, and a calculated density of 7.265 g·cm-3. The new material requires a more simplified crystal growth compared to the leading system Cd0.9Zn0.1Te, which is the benchmark room-temperature hard radiation detector material. We successfully synthesized Tl6SI4 crystals to produce detector-grade wafers with high resistivity values (∼1010 Ω·cm) and high-resolution detection of X-ray spectra from an Ag (22 keV) source.",

keywords = "chalcogenide, crystal growth, radiation detection, wide-gap semiconductors",

author = "Nguyen, {Sandy L.} and Malliakas, {Christos D.} and Peters, {John A.} and Zhifu Liu and Jino Im and Zhao, {Li Dong} and Maria Sebastian and Hosub Jin and Hao Li and Simon Johnsen and Wessels, {Bruce W.} and Freeman, {Arthur J.} and Kanatzidis, {Mercouri G.}",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1021/cm401406j",

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T1 - Photoconductivity in Tl6SI4

T2 - A novel semiconductor for hard radiation detection

AU - Nguyen, Sandy L.

AU - Malliakas, Christos D.

AU - Peters, John A.

AU - Liu, Zhifu

AU - Im, Jino

AU - Zhao, Li Dong

AU - Sebastian, Maria

AU - Jin, Hosub

AU - Li, Hao

AU - Johnsen, Simon

AU - Wessels, Bruce W.

AU - Freeman, Arthur J.

AU - Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.

PY - 2013/7/23

Y1 - 2013/7/23

N2 - The chemical concept of lattice hybridization was applied to identify new chalcohalide compounds as candidates for X-ray and γ-ray detection. Per this approach, compound semiconductor materials with high density and wide band gaps can be produced that can absorb and detect hard radiation. Here, we show that the mixed chalcogenide-halide compound Tl6SI4 is a congruently melting, mechanically robust chalcohalide material with strong photoconductivity response and an impressive room-temperature figure of merit. Tl6SI4 crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/mnc space group, with a = 9.1758(13) Å, c = 9.5879(19) Å, V = 807.3(2) Å3, and a calculated density of 7.265 g·cm-3. The new material requires a more simplified crystal growth compared to the leading system Cd0.9Zn0.1Te, which is the benchmark room-temperature hard radiation detector material. We successfully synthesized Tl6SI4 crystals to produce detector-grade wafers with high resistivity values (∼1010 Ω·cm) and high-resolution detection of X-ray spectra from an Ag (22 keV) source.

AB - The chemical concept of lattice hybridization was applied to identify new chalcohalide compounds as candidates for X-ray and γ-ray detection. Per this approach, compound semiconductor materials with high density and wide band gaps can be produced that can absorb and detect hard radiation. Here, we show that the mixed chalcogenide-halide compound Tl6SI4 is a congruently melting, mechanically robust chalcohalide material with strong photoconductivity response and an impressive room-temperature figure of merit. Tl6SI4 crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/mnc space group, with a = 9.1758(13) Å, c = 9.5879(19) Å, V = 807.3(2) Å3, and a calculated density of 7.265 g·cm-3. The new material requires a more simplified crystal growth compared to the leading system Cd0.9Zn0.1Te, which is the benchmark room-temperature hard radiation detector material. We successfully synthesized Tl6SI4 crystals to produce detector-grade wafers with high resistivity values (∼1010 Ω·cm) and high-resolution detection of X-ray spectra from an Ag (22 keV) source.

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