Radiation attenuation parameters and intrinsic efficiency of a few semiconductor crystals for radiation detection applications.

This study investigates the effectiveness of nine inorganic semiconductor crystals - LiGaSe, LiInSe, CsHgInS, SnS, GaTe, BiI, SbTe, TlCdI, and TlBr - for radiation detection applications based on photon and charged particle (electrons, protons, and heavy ions) interaction parameters. Mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), half value layer (HVL), relaxation length (λ), effective atomic number (Z), electron density (N), equivalent atomic number (Z), and exposure buildup factor (EBF) were computed using PAGEX software. These results, along with their intrinsic efficiencies calculated, were compared with that of standard materials (NaI(Tl), CdZnTe, and CdTe). The μ/ρ values of the studied semiconducting materials are ranked in the decreasing order as: TlBr, TlCdI, BiI, CsHgInS, SbTe, GaTe, SnS, LiInSe, and LiGaSe. TlBr, TlCdI, BiI, and SbTe show superior photon detection capabilities compared to the reference materials. TlBr and TlCdI have the highest intrinsic efficiency across nearly all energy regions, while LiGaSe has the lowest. Interaction parameters like range and Z for charged particles were also computed using standard databases, with SnS and SbTe showing the least range for all the charged particles studied throughout the entire energy region. The study indicates that TlBr and TlCdI have strong potential for developing next-generation radiation detectors with enhanced sensitivity, addressing needs in healthcare and national security.