Diamond detector with laser-formed buried graphitic electrodes: micron-scale mapping of stress and charge collection efficiency

The paper reports the micron-scale investigation of an all-carbon detector based on synthetic single crystal CVD-diamond having an array of cylindrical graphitic buried-contacts, about $20~\mu \text{m}$ in diameter each, connected at the front side by superficial graphitic strips. To induce diamond-to-graphite transformation on both detector surface and bulk volume, direct-laser-writing technique was used. Laser-treatment parameters and cell shape have been chosen to minimize the overlapping of laser-induced stressed volumes. Optical microscopy with crossed polarizers highlighted the presence of an optical anisotropy of the treated material surrounding the embedded graphitized columns, and non-uniform stress in the buried zones being confirmed with a confocal Raman spectroscopy mapping. Dark current-voltage characterization highlights the presence of a field-assisted detrapping transport mainly related to highly-stresses regions surrounding buried columns, as well as superficial graphitized strips edges, where electric field strength is more intense, too. Notwithstanding the strain and electronic-active defects, the detector demonstrated a good charge collection produced by 3.0 and 4.5 MeV protons impinging the diamond, as well as those generated by MeV $\beta $ -particles emitted by 90Sr source. Indeed, the mapping of charge collection efficiency with Ion Beam Induced Charge technique displayed that only a few micrometers thick radial region surrounding graphitic electrodes has a reduced efficiency, while most of the device volume preserves good detection properties with a charge collection efficiency around 90% at 60 V of biasing. Moreover, a charge collection efficiency of 96% was estimated under MeV electrons irradiation, indicating the good detection activity along the buried columns depth.