Characterization of the Imaging Performance of the Simultaneously Counting and Integrating X-ray Detector CIX

Abstract

The CIX detector is a direct converting hybrid pixel detector designed for medical X-ray imaging applications. Its defining feature is the simultaneous operation of a photon counter as well as an integrator in every pixel cell. This novel approach offers a dynamic range of more than five orders of magnitude, as well as the ability to directly obtain the average photon energy from the measured data. Several CIX 0.2 ASICs have been successfully connected to CdTe, CdZnTe and Si sensors. These detector modules were tested with respect to the imaging performance of the simultaneously counting and integrating concept under X-ray irradiation. Apart from a characterization of the intrinsic benefits of the CIX concept, the sensor performance was also investigated. Here, the two parallel signal processing concepts offer valuable insights into material related effects like polarization and temporal response. The impact of interpixel coupling effects like charge-sharing, Compton scattering and X-ray uorescence was evaluated through simulations and measurements.