Electrical-modelling, design and simulation of cumulative radiation effects in semiconductor pixels detectors: prospects and limits

Silicon detectors have gained in popularity since silicon became a widely used electronic semiconductor material. Silicon detectors are used in particle physics as well as imagers for pixel based detecting systems. Over the past twenty years a lot of experimental efforts have been focused on the effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation on silicon based detectors including charged coupled devices (CCDs). Some of this research was performed in the framework of high luminosity particle physics experiments, along with radiation hardness studies of basic semiconductors devices. The building blocks of silicon pixel detectors including CCDs are simple PIN or PN structures partially or totally depleted, or even MOS and APD (Avalanche PhotoDiode) structures. Bulk or surface defects considerably affect the transport of free carriers. We propose here guidelines for pixel design. The method takes into account the properties of defects and will be tested through two pixel structures. The electrical properties of defects can be reduced to basic parameters, which can be introduced in a standard simulation code to make predictive simulations. We include an analytical model for defect build up derived from isochronal annealing experiments. Studying pixels detectors with different geometrical structures and fabricated with various semiconducting materials is made possible with this method. Its purpose is to provide an alternative to tedious and extensive radiation tests on fabricated detectors. Predicting the pixel behaviour w.r.t. defect properties is necessary for the long-term reliability of detectors and for making them radiation hard. A general method for pixel design is introduced and we will show how it can be used for the design of alternative (germanium) pixels.