Advances in HPGe Detectors for Real-World Applications

Germanium detector use and crystal production has progressed to such a degree that the IEEE standard for the performance of the detector is no longer adequate to predict the efficacy for a different situation. The specifications of the standard do not predict how a detector will perform at other energies or geometries. One such geometry that is poorly predicted is extended sources. Many parts of the detector and electronics that can be changed to make the total system perform better for a specific case, but such changes can worsen the performance of the detector at the IEEE specification. Examples will be given for the efficiency, MDA, throughput, and resolution for different source—detector and crystal configurations.